Equivalent W2 1929

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, Equivalent W2, sometime in the early part of the 20th century. It's a small, intimate study of clouds, but it feels so expansive, doesn’t it? Looking at it now, I’m struck by the tonal range he coaxes out of a monochrome palette; the soft greys give way to deeper blacks, and it’s this attention to texture and tone that makes the image so compelling. The clouds almost seem touchable, with a real weight and density. See how the light catches on the edges of each cloud, defining its shape and volume. It reminds me of the work of Georgia O’Keeffe – another artist who was interested in finding the monumental in the everyday, abstracting forms from nature. With its focus on capturing a moment in time, Stieglitz reminds us that art is about a conversation between the artist, the medium, and the world around them.