Cold Storage Beach, Truro, Cape Cod Possibly 1976 - 1977

This image, Cold Storage Beach, Truro, Cape Cod, was captured by Joel Meyerowitz sometime after 1938. What gets me about it is the way it treats the world like a canvas, the way the colour just bleeds and blends, like watercolour. The atmosphere is everything here. The light is soft and diffused, making the scene feel almost dreamlike. The texture of the print seems smooth, allowing the subtle gradations of colour to really sing. Look at the horizon line where the sky meets the sea – it’s almost imperceptible, a hazy merge of pale blues and pinks. It’s these subtle shifts that give the image its emotional weight, creating a sense of quiet contemplation. I think Meyerowitz is in conversation with the likes of the painter, Agnes Martin; that kind of subtle, atmospheric abstraction. The beauty of art is that it doesn't tell you what to feel, it just creates a space for feeling.