The Bridge at Ipswich 1904

Alvin Langdon Coburn made this gelatin silver print of The Bridge at Ipswich, and it's like a dream, right? The monochromatic palette makes you feel like you’re looking at something from a long time ago. What strikes me is the way the bridge melts into the water and sky. It’s all about atmosphere, not detail. You can almost feel the dampness in the air. Look at the dark arch of the bridge – it’s so solid, but then it dissolves into this soft, blurry reflection. Coburn reminds me a bit of Whistler, in that he is more concerned with mood than accuracy. It’s as if he is whispering, "Don't worry about what things are, feel what they are." And maybe that’s what art’s really about, anyway.