The Dying Cedar 1909

Anne Brigman made this photograph, The Dying Cedar, using a camera and photographic paper. I can imagine Anne outdoors, hauling her heavy equipment around the mountains, looking for that one perfect spot. She finds this tree, weathered and worn but still reaching. And then, she places a nude model in the tree. I wonder, what was she thinking when she brought the human form into conversation with this ancient being? The model appears to be emerging from the tree, or maybe offering it comfort, as if they were one and the same. It's poignant, like they’re both feeling the weight of time. Brigman's work reminds me of other photographers like Julia Margaret Cameron, who also used the camera to explore allegorical themes. It shows how artists across time have grappled with the big stuff—life, death, and the stories we tell ourselves about nature. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t give us answers, it just keeps the conversation going.