Over the House-Tops, New York 1908

Here we see Wilmerding's "Over the House-Tops, New York," a gelatin silver print. It's a city in monochrome, soft greys and whites swirling together. There's something dreamlike about it. Look how the smoke rises, almost obscuring the buildings, blurring the edges of the city. It feels like an image emerging, or maybe dissolving, right before our eyes. This kind of image-making is about process - about time and chemistry, and the way light interacts with surfaces. The texture is so important here, and the softness gives everything a sense of impermanence, a moment captured that’s already fading. It reminds me a little of Atget, with that same eye for the everyday, the poetic, and the slightly melancholy. These artists remind us that art isn't about fixed meanings, but about possibilities.