Long Underwear, Lake George 1924

Alfred Stieglitz made this small photograph called "Long Underwear, Lake George" sometime in the early 20th century. What grabs me is how he transformed something so mundane – laundry on a line – into something almost abstract. The high contrast and stark tonality, typical of his photographs, give the image a tactile quality. The texture of the cloth, the rough-hewn post, the wiry lines, all feel palpable. Look at the way the fabric billows, caught by the wind. It’s almost sculptural, reminiscent of a minimalist form. The light and shadow create a visual dance, turning the ordinary into something ethereal. Stieglitz was deeply interested in capturing the essence of a moment, a feeling, more than just a literal representation. Like his cloud studies, he elevated the everyday into something profound. This feels like a cousin to some of the photographs by Paul Strand, who was doing similar things with quite different subject matter. For Stieglitz, and for me, art is about seeing the world anew, finding poetry in the commonplace.