Edith and Moth Flight 2002

Emmet Gowin made this gelatin silver print titled, Edith and Moth Flight. The tonal range of greys really gives the image this ethereal quality. Gowin’s mark making here isn't with paint, but with light, and time. There’s a blurred figure, presumably Edith, and around her, trails of light, mapping out the erratic flight paths of moths. It's like he’s painting with movement, the way the moths loop and dive. The surface of the photograph has this luminous quality, where dark and light meet to create an almost dreamlike texture. The blurred effect softens the hard edges, which invites you into the intimate and private moment captured. Look at how the trails of light seem to dance around the central figure, almost as if she’s conducting this symphony of moths. This piece reminds me of the work of Minor White, particularly in how he uses photography to explore themes of spirituality and the natural world. The ambiguity invites you to bring your own interpretations. Gowin isn’t offering a definitive meaning, but rather inviting you to feel something, to contemplate the fleeting beauty of existence.