Frances O'Brien 1926

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, Frances O'Brien, using a camera, lens, and photographic paper, sometime in the early part of the 20th century. I can imagine Stieglitz looking through the lens and making tiny adjustments to the light, the body, the ground, and the focus, trying to capture something real. The human body is like an emotional landscape! It's a series of curves and shadows, soft surfaces, and lines of tension. And it's so close to the ground. Do you see how it nestles there? I am sympathetic to Stieglitz, to his eye, and to the way the camera can trace a feeling. The tones are gray, from light to dark, and the surface has a subtle sheen, like skin. It reminds me of other artists, Georgia O'Keeffe, for instance, who found ways to make art about the body, to explore the human form with such curiosity and care. We are all looking, learning, and talking to each other across time.