Songs of the Sky A8 1923

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, Songs of the Sky A8, with a camera, and a dark room, and who knows what kind of weather! I can imagine him standing out in all kinds of conditions to try and get this shot, just waiting for the right moment, the right light, the right mood to hit, and there it is. The sun in the corner of the image isn’t blasting, but just a warm, inviting glow. For Stieglitz, the camera wasn't just a recording device, but a means to explore inner states. He created an equivalence between what he saw in the world and what he felt inside. It's a kind of self-portrait, just not one using his face. What does the sky mean to him? What can he express with light and shadow and these soft cloud forms? How does it relate to his wider practice and body of work, and to other photographers of the time? Ambiguity is the key. It’s not a fixed thing. It’s open to interpretation, like a song.