When we lived in Tokyo, my mother studied ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement. She taught me that flowers are considered to be most beautiful when they are in the transitional state between full bloom and wilting. Stephen Wilkes' photographs of Ellis Island remind me of this philosophy. The lighting is absolutely stunning, and the scale and details are so delicate and intimate; just amazing. I can only imagine how his large prints must look in comparison to small jpegs. The place has the potential to be a creepy backdrop for a horror movie, but he found the beauty in its decay. I literally stopped breathing when I saw this photograph.
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