Elephants with Trainer, Circus, New York 1936

Ilse Bing took this photograph of elephants with their trainer at a circus in New York using a camera and film, sometime in the middle of the twentieth century. The tones in this photograph are just gorgeous, ranging from deep blacks to soft greys, and the texture feels so velvety. Bing somehow captured the weight of these massive creatures with such delicacy. Look at the way the light catches the folds of their skin, creating a sense of depth. The trainer, in his dark suit and top hat, almost blends into the shadows, a stark contrast to the elephants. I'm reminded of Walker Evans and his knack for finding beauty in the everyday. Like Evans, Bing has a way of elevating her subject through composition and tone. There's an ongoing conversation between artists across time, each building upon the other's vision. Art, at its best, is a form that embraces ambiguity and multiple interpretations, isn’t it?