Pont des Arts, Paris 1931

Ilse Bing made this gelatin silver print, Pont des Arts, in Paris. The black and white palette renders the scene both abstract and grounded, and I'm fascinated by the contrast between the solid geometry of the bridge and the fluidity of the water. I can imagine Bing setting up her camera, carefully framing the shot to capture the light and shadow playing across the water, bridge, and architecture of Paris. The bridge stretches across the frame, while a lone figure sits quietly at the edge of the river, completely absorbed in their own world. I wonder what she was thinking when she released the shutter. Did she see herself as a painter, too, using light and shadow as her medium? Did she have a sense of loneliness and isolation? Bing was part of a generation of artists who were pushing the boundaries of photography, experimenting with new techniques and perspectives. Her images can be understood as part of a broader conversation about how we see and interpret the world around us, and how photography can be used as a form of personal expression. Her artistic experiment inspires my own studio practice to embrace uncertainty and ambiguity, allowing for multiple readings and interpretations.