The White Fence c. 1916 - 1929

Paul Strand made this photograph, ‘The White Fence,’ sometime in the early 20th century using a camera and film, of course. It's a dance of light and shadow, a study in contrasts. The fence itself is the star. Each picket stands to attention, catching the light, while behind it, the buildings fade into a soft grey. Look closely at the texture, the grain of the wood, the way the light etches the edges of each plank. There's a tension between the flat surface of the print and the depth of the scene. It’s like Strand is asking, what is real? What is representation? See how the shadows mimic the pickets, creating a ghostly double? It's a simple scene, but it's full of formal complexity and invites you to meditate on form and content. Strand, like his contemporary Alfred Stieglitz, was part of a movement that embraced photography as a fine art. Think of Walker Evans's stark, documentary style, also finding beauty in the everyday. Art isn't about answers, it's about questions.