designboom · Creativity & design

The Met Explores Two Centuries of Cloud Artistry

The exhibition 'Chasing Clouds' at The Met examines how artists and photographers have depicted the sky, from early painters to Stieglitz.

The exhibition features Claude mirrors from around 1800, used to transform landscape views into reflections before photography.

Curated by Stephen C. Pinson, it traces skywatching from 1800s plein air painters to Alfred Stieglitz's cloud photos in the 1920s.

Around 1800, scientific cloud study and art converged. John Constable's 'skying' involved repeated cloud studies, noting conditions.

Early photography struggled with the sky's blue light, sometimes creating abstract images, as in John Beasley Greene's work.

Photographers like Gustave Le Gray manipulated negatives, combining separate exposures for sea and sky.

Photography influenced painting, with artists adopting new cropping and tonal effects. Roger Fenton's cloud studies prioritized emotion.

Alfred Stieglitz's 'Equivalents' removed landscape, using clouds for emotional expression, showing evolving perception.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.