Rain 2006

This photograph titled "Rain" was made by Abbas Kiarostami, but we don't know when. It reminds me of those times when you're stuck inside on a rainy day, watching the world through a blurry window. The first thing you notice is the wetness, the sheen and slickness of the surface. Look at how the droplets form these amazing, abstract patterns! Each one is like a little lens, bending the light and distorting what's behind it. There's a dark shape, maybe a tree, but it's all soft and undefined. It's a little like life, right? Always in motion, never quite in focus. I think Kiarostami is onto something here. The way he plays with the surface, the reflections, and the ambiguity, reminds me a little of Gerhard Richter. Both artists use abstraction and blurring to make us question what we're seeing and to embrace the beauty of the in-between spaces. After all, isn't that where the real magic happens?