Charles Demuth 1915

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph of Charles Demuth, sometime in the early twentieth century. It's a portrait, but it's also a study in light and shadow. The way the light catches Demuth's face, the sharp contrast between his dark coat and the lighter background – it's all about how light can sculpt form. And look closely, behind Demuth you can just about make out one of his own works, a study of shapes, a prelude to his later architectural paintings. It's almost like Stieglitz is hinting at the dialogue between them. Photography, like painting, is a process of layering and revealing. Stieglitz coaxes an image out of the darkness, much like a painter coaxes form out of a blank canvas. It reminds me of my own painting, how each layer informs the next, building up a history of marks and gestures. And I love the way that art, like conversation, unfolds across time and space.