Music—A Sequence of Ten Cloud Photographs, No. I or Clouds in 10 Movements, No. I 1922

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph of clouds sometime in the early 20th century, and when I look at it, I imagine him waiting for the right moment, the perfect convergence of light and shadow, to capture the ephemeral beauty of the sky. I wonder if he saw the clouds as a kind of abstract expression, like a painting in the sky? The tonal range is amazing, all the grays, from almost white to deep black. You can see how the light catches the edges of the clouds, giving them a sculptural presence. It's like he's trying to find a visual language for something that's constantly changing, something that's almost beyond words. I also see a conversation between Stieglitz and other artists of his time, all searching for ways to express the inner life through abstraction. It reminds me of Georgia O'Keeffe’s paintings, in their shared interest in form and feeling. I guess all artists are looking to express what it feels like to be alive.