Georgia O'Keeffe 1931

This photograph of Georgia O'Keeffe was taken by Alfred Stieglitz, probably with a large format camera given the details. The composition is stark. O’Keeffe is framed in the window of a log cabin, holding an animal skull. It’s all about contrasts: the dark interior, the bright skull, the rough wood against O’Keeffe’s smooth skin. You can tell that Stieglitz was deeply in love with O’Keeffe. I imagine him fussing over the lighting, wanting to capture her strength, her intelligence, her otherworldliness. Think about the conversation between the photographer and his subject. How much do you reveal? It's almost confrontational. The skull is such a great symbol, really, of life and death, and the artist taking the raw stuff of the world and turning it into art. Stieglitz saw something special in her, and this image captures it. Artists build each other up and push each other, right? It's a beautiful thing.