Songs of the Sky K1 or H1 c. 1923

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, Songs of the Sky, with a camera, using light and chemicals. The blacks and whites are so nuanced, like a de Kooning painting, or a Turner sky, full of emotion and atmosphere. I can imagine Stieglitz looking up, framing the shot, waiting for the right moment when the clouds shifted to reveal that tiny moon, like a fleeting thought. It makes me wonder what he was thinking about, what he was trying to capture, maybe something about the sublime power of nature or the ephemerality of existence? It's interesting how Stieglitz, like many painters, was concerned with capturing a sense of feeling or mood through the tonal gradations, the contrast and the play of light and shadow, almost like a Rothko. Artists are always in dialogue with each other, borrowing and riffing on ideas across mediums. This photograph reminds me that artists are constantly pushing the boundaries of their chosen medium, seeking new ways to express themselves and connect with the world.