Barn, Lake George 1936

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, "Barn, Lake George," with a camera and film, sometime in the early 20th century. It's a study in contrasts, isn't it? Look at the way the dark, weathered wood of the barn pushes up against the airy, sunlit meadow. I wonder what Stieglitz was thinking as he framed this shot. Was he drawn to the simple geometry of the barn against the wildness of nature? Or maybe he was thinking about the way things decay. Photography, like painting, is about light and shadow, texture and form. In this photo, the rough texture of the barn siding and the soft grasses create a tactile surface, almost like impasto in a painting. It's a reminder that artists are always looking, always finding new ways to see the world around them. It reminds me a little of Edward Hopper. They're both in conversation with each other across time, inspiring new ways of seeing and feeling.