Songs of the Sky or Equivalent 1923 - 1929

Alfred Stieglitz created this gelatin silver print, “Songs of the Sky or Equivalent,” part of a series, to capture the essence of his emotional states. Stieglitz, a pivotal figure in promoting photography as fine art, sought to express inner feelings through external forms. These photographs, taken during a period of personal and artistic transformation, reflect the complexities of his identity as a man, an artist, and a husband in the early 20th century. Stieglitz once said that through Clouds he wanted to show that his photographs didn't represent solely what was in front of his lens, rather, they were representative of his vision. The photographs move beyond traditional representation, offering an alternative narrative where emotions and subjective experiences take center stage. The evocative power of “Songs of the Sky” lies in its ability to mirror the viewer’s own emotional landscape, blurring the lines between the artist’s feelings and our own.