Songs of the Sky B5 1923

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, Songs of the Sky B5, with a camera, lens, and photographic paper. The varying tones of grey suggest a sensitivity to the alchemical process of image making as it happens. These are some moody clouds, and if I were going to paint them, I might use a lot of ultramarine mixed with raw umber to get that stormy depth. Look how the clouds gather in the center, like thoughts coalescing. It’s so evocative. The light catches the edges of some clouds, and others are lost in shadow. This creates a beautiful play of light and dark, a sort of celestial dance. Stieglitz was interested in how a photograph could be as expressive as a painting. I’m reminded of Gerhard Richter’s cloud paintings, where he blurred the images to create a sense of something ethereal and just beyond reach. It's always about seeing, and how we see. Art helps us ask, what is seeing?