Farciennes I (Chemin d'Aiseau), Belgium 2007

Witho Worms made this landscape photograph of Farciennes in Belgium. Just looking at it, I feel the air is damp and heavy. There's an austere monumentality in the pyramid-like heap, that makes me think of the sublime landscapes of the Romantic painters. I can imagine Worms carefully considering the composition, waiting for the right light to capture this quiet scene. Those thin trees reaching upwards create a delicate dance between nature and industry, an intersection that defines so much of our contemporary experience. You can almost feel the history embedded in the soil, like layers of sediment in a painting, each one telling a different story. He makes me think of other landscape photographers, like the Bechers, who documented industrial structures with such care and attention. It's a gentle reminder that art is everywhere, even in the most unexpected places. And that every artist is always in conversation with others, both present and long gone.