Movable Bridge, New York, New York Possibly 1990 - 2020

James Welling created this photographic print of a New York movable bridge. I want to imagine what it might have felt like to stand on that bridge. There are some painters like Charles Sheeler, for instance, who are drawn to the hard edge of industry, and, in this work, I feel that hard edge soften with the lens. The bridge’s steel girders form a kind of exoskeletal container. In a sense, the artist and the viewer are also contained. Welling’s composition is so strong, so complete, that the bridge becomes not just a functional object but a place, a room, a state of mind. What is Welling thinking about, what does it mean? The bridge feels like an invitation to transport us somewhere. I think of Welling as an artist inspired by the work of other artists. He’s in dialogue with them and expanding the definition of photography. He asks us to embrace a wide range of possibilities.