Georgia O'Keeffe—Torso

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, Georgia O’Keeffe—Torso, with his camera, and it’s really about light as a material. The whole composition is a study in tonality, how light and shadow describe form, and also, how the camera, as a tool, can zero in on detail. I mean, look at the way the light glances across the skin. The soft gradations, the way the highlights define the planes of the body - it’s like he’s sculpting with light! But there’s also a kind of cool detachment, right? Like he’s observing rather than idealizing. In that sense, I think of other photographers like Man Ray, who were also pushing the boundaries of what photography could do. It's an ongoing conversation about how we see, how we represent, and ultimately, what we value in the world around us. It’s all open to interpretation, isn’t it?