The Pool—Deal Possibly 1910 - 1911

Curator: This photograph is titled "The Pool—Deal," attributed to Alfred Stieglitz and thought to have been created around 1910 or 1911. Editor: The image is washed with nostalgia—like an old postcard, filled with the ghost memories of someone else's summer. Everyone gathered at this swimming pool feels suspended in time. Curator: Stieglitz was a master of photographic composition. Note how the strong diagonals of the slides intersect with the more horizontal lines of the pool and bathhouse creating a dynamic interplay of forms. It seems the picture plane is activated as a site of intersecting visual geometries. Editor: Right, those angular lines of the diving structure almost violently bisect the image. But beyond the formal elements, the collective mood is pure joy, wouldn't you say? Kids playing, the sun shimmering... it gives the image such lightness and airiness, and maybe that has something to do with its rendering into black and white. Curator: Rendering scenes monochromatically strips the scene down to its tonal values, revealing the structure of the image and intensifying contrast and visual interest. In this instance, look closely how the absence of color, by creating variations of grey values, adds both an atmospheric and textural component. Editor: Absolutely. Plus, consider the impressionistic blurring effect, like the world seen through heat haze. Does Stieglitz give us an unromantic peek behind our human desire to simply have fun in the sun and play? Curator: Interesting point! In formal terms, it demonstrates an attention to rendering subjective experience through a mastery of composition. A feat possible due to technical proficiency married to aesthetic intentions. Editor: So, the seemingly carefree moment becomes a carefully constructed reflection, of capturing fugitive feelings. I think this transforms how we should frame "The Pool—Deal"; as more than just visual entertainment, and into something far more reflective. Curator: Well said. Considering Stieglitz's ability to create multiple layers of significance underscores the continued relevance and value of his photographic artistry.