Macchie Solari, Foto Osservatorio di Monte Wilson (Sunspots, Mount Wilson Observatory) c. 1971

This photograph of sunspots was taken at the Mount Wilson Observatory. What does it mean to make an image of something so distant, unknowable, and, well, hot? I try to imagine the moment the image was captured, the intense focus on light and shadow as the photograph develops. Maybe the photographer felt a deep connection to the cosmos, each sunspot a brushstroke in a much larger, grander painting than anything we could create here on earth. The dark spots offer a sense of depth, contrast and dimension to the large bright sphere. It's almost like a cosmic dance, a quiet conversation between light and shadow. The picture plane is activated and given movement by these tiny disruptions. In a similar way, Agnes Martin's subtle pencil lines can have such a huge impact on her large canvases. It reminds me that art isn't just about what we see, but how we see and relate to the universe around us.