Georgia O'Keeffe 1928

This portrait of Georgia O'Keeffe was made by Alfred Stieglitz using photography. I find it fascinating how, with monochrome, he coaxes so much from the grey scale. What really grabs me about this image is the way the light shapes O'Keeffe's face. It's not just about what's illuminated, but also what's left in shadow. It reminds me of carving into stone; taking away to reveal the form. And there's a real sense of the material here, you can almost feel the texture of her skin. The way the light catches the collar of her shirt, too, has a crispness that's almost tactile. You know, looking at this, I'm reminded a little of some of those early Man Ray portraits. There's a similar focus on form, but with Stieglitz, there's also a vulnerability, a softness that's really lovely. But who was influencing who? That's the ongoing conversation of art, isn't it? Always in flux, always responding.