Georgia O'Keeffe—Hand Possibly 1919 - 1937

Alfred Stieglitz made this gelatin silver print, Georgia O'Keeffe—Hand, sometime in the first half of the 20th century. Look at how Stieglitz uses light and shadow. It's like he's sculpting the form with light. This isn’t just documentation; it's an interpretation, a dance between what's there and how we see it. I’m always interested in the physicality of art, and here, even in a photograph, you feel the texture of skin against the smooth, plaster-like surface. The way the hand clutches the object speaks to a desire to understand something, but also maybe to possess it. The stark contrast between the dark background and the pale hand and object is so dramatic, almost theatrical. It reminds me a little of Edward Weston, who also used photography to explore the sensuality of form, but with a cooler, more detached eye. Ultimately, this picture feels like an invitation to bring your own story to the table, and isn't that what art is all about?