The word “photography” is based on the ancient Greek words for light (photos) and writing (graphos). Strictly speaking, a photographer does not copy the shape and form in front of the camera. The light reflected or emanating from the thing is written onto the material of the photograph. Only in this indirect way does a photograph reveal the thing that is before the camera. And sometimes this record of the light obscures the thing itself and by doing so reveals more clearly some quality of the thing. Even with the benefit of this photograph’s title, I doubt that anyone can accurately describe the thin unless he or she has seen it in person. Is it an interior or exterior balcony? How big is the portion of the balcony depicted here? How many different materials is it made of? How many different shades of color are there?
By obscuring all these things, I believe this photograph reveals more clearly the visual form of the object before the camera.