Equivalent c. 1927

This silver print photograph of clouds, titled Equivalent, was created by Alfred Stieglitz. It's a dance of light and dark. Stieglitz captures the texture of these clouds; they're almost sculptural, aren't they? The stark contrast makes me think about the act of building up layers in painting. It seems Stieglitz is building layers of meaning, not just clouds, as if they are emotional states. Look at the way the light catches the edges, making them pop against the dark sky. It is as if it’s about carving out shapes, a process of revealing form through light, like he’s asking us to see what else is there. You can't help but feel like you're witnessing a fleeting moment, captured with incredible precision. Think of the seascapes of Gustave Courbet, another artist who reveled in the power of nature. Both prompt us to think about the world, and how we experience it.