Songs of the Sky 1924

This photo, "Songs of the Sky," by Alfred Stieglitz, is printed on a small sheet of paper. Stieglitz wasn’t trying to capture a specific cloud, but rather the feeling of the sky, the ephemerality of the world. It reminds me that art isn't just about capturing something, but about the process of seeing and feeling. Look at the texture of the clouds. See how they’re not just flat gray, but full of light and shadow? It's like Stieglitz is sculpting with light. The darks aren't just black voids; they have a depth, a kind of velvety richness that pulls you in. He coaxes so much from the tonal range of black and white, it's like he's painting with light itself! It reminds me of Gerhard Richter's cloud paintings, how they capture a sense of vastness and mystery. Both artists show us that art isn't about fixed meanings but about embracing ambiguity, inviting us to see the world in new ways.