Songs of the Sky Q4 1923

Editor: So, this is Alfred Stieglitz's "Songs of the Sky Q4," a photograph from 1923. It looks to me like an abstract cloudscape. It’s pretty dark and almost feels… oppressive. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, Stieglitz! You know, these cloud photographs are more than just clouds. He called them "Equivalents," meaning they were equivalents of his inner states. He believed a photograph could express feelings as purely as music. Do you get that sense, that these clouds aren't just meteorological phenomena? Editor: I do now! I was too focused on the literal cloud forms. So, the gloom I felt maybe isn’t just from the dark tones, but something deeper? It’s interesting to think he chose these specific cloud formations to represent what he was feeling. What feelings do *you* get? Curator: Perhaps feelings of isolation, uncertainty, even a little bit of melancholic grandeur. Remember, he was going through a lot in his personal life at the time. But also, look at the composition, how the light struggles against the darkness. Is there maybe a sense of hope peeking through for you? Editor: I think I see what you mean. The slivers of light give the photograph a real sense of depth. He uses only clouds and light and shadow to do that; no landscape needed. I initially missed that complexity because I was so taken by its starkness. Thanks, this totally shifts my perspective. Curator: Absolutely. And that's the beauty of art, isn't it? It invites us to look within ourselves while looking out at the world, or in this case, up at the sky. I think next time it rains I'll spend time thinking about what equivalence *my* sky might have!