The Ferry Boat Possibly 1910 - 1932

Editor: Here we have Alfred Stieglitz's "The Ferry Boat," a gelatin-silver print, likely taken sometime between 1910 and 1932. There's something so evocative about the textures captured, the way the light dances on the water. What stands out to you when you look at this piece? Curator: For me, it’s about understanding Stieglitz’s commitment to photography as a medium equal to painting, particularly concerning its means of production. Think about the context: photography was still fighting for artistic legitimacy. By meticulously crafting gelatin-silver prints, Stieglitz was emphasizing the labour involved, the darkroom processes. This wasn't just pointing and shooting. Editor: That's fascinating. So you're saying that the very process of creating this photograph was a statement? Curator: Precisely. Look at the surface. Can you see the subtle variations, the delicate tonal shifts that he achieves through his darkroom work? He’s controlling the entire process, much like a painter manipulates pigment. He elevates what many considered a mechanical process to the realm of artistic craft. Also consider how this imagery fed consumer desire at this time: How was the romantic allure of urbanism and leisure, made attainable through mass production, sold back to its consumers through the creation and consumption of art? Editor: I never thought about the consumption of art. Curator: His deliberate aesthetic choices are inseparable from the labour and industrial context that enabled them. Editor: So it's not just a snapshot of a ferry, but a commentary on the very nature of art and labour at the time. The technology involved in getting the shot. Wow. Curator: Exactly! This piece pushes us to question how technology shapes art, and art shapes our perception and consumerism. Editor: I'm beginning to think the most profound aspects of artworks may lie in what materials say. Curator: Absolutely. Recognizing that artwork as an item to consume reframes what we understand as fine art!