Songs of the Sky 1924

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, Songs of the Sky, with a camera, at some point in his life. What’s striking to me is the layered effect he gets from the clouds. Look how they seem almost collaged together, like he's building up forms from smaller, softer shapes. The tones in this piece range from a moody dark gray to a lighter, almost luminous white. The textures in the sky have a sort of sculptural, almost tactile quality. You can almost feel the weight and density of the clouds pressing down. Look at the way the light catches the edges of the clouds near the center of the frame. There's this incredible depth created by the contrast between the lit areas and the darker shadows. I think of Gerhard Richter's cloudscapes. Both artists are interested in how we perceive light and form, and how we can represent these fleeting moments in time. Art’s not about answers, it’s about embracing the questions and possibilities.