From My Window at the Shelton, North 1931

Alfred Stieglitz made this gelatin silver print, “From My Window at the Shelton, North,” without a date, from his window at the Shelton Hotel. I wonder how many days he looked at that building before deciding to photograph it. The architectural forms are so interesting, almost like a rough sketch of geometric shapes, repeated until they create a pattern. It's a bit like Agnes Martin's work, but in real life. I imagine that from his window, Stieglitz would have found the skyline to be a constant source of inspiration; something to build on, something to react against. It's interesting how artists have always looked to their surroundings to create, and then other artists respond to that, in turn. Like, you see something in this image, and then it pops up in a future painting. It's all part of the same conversation, you know?