Hurricane LXXX (Variant A) Possibly 2008 - 2017

Clifford Ross made this photograph, "Hurricane LXXX (Variant A)", and well, you can really feel the force of nature, can’t you? There's something about the way the light hits the water, how it explodes into a million tiny pieces, that gets me. It's like Ross is trying to capture something that's impossible to hold onto, the fleeting nature of a moment. Look at the churning surface of the sea, how it contrasts with the ominous dark sky above. The texture feels almost palpable, as if you could reach out and touch the spray of the wave. See that little dark patch in the center of the image, where the water seems to fold in on itself? It’s a reminder that beneath the surface there's a hidden depth, a mystery that we can never fully grasp. It reminds me a little of Hiroshi Sugimoto, but in a less formal way, maybe more about the energy of the ocean. Art is all about a dialogue between artists, each riffing on what came before.