Untitled (Fenn machine part) c. 1940s

This photograph by Robert Burian captures a piece of the Fenn machine, a stark industrial form. Consider the image's symmetry – the mirroring of shapes and the structured arrangement of the mechanical components. This echoes the visual traditions of ancient religious art, particularly altarpieces or sacred diagrams where symmetry signifies balance and divine order. But here, the divine is replaced by the mechanical. The wires and cables, like the entrails of some modern deity, invite us to contemplate the power of technology. We are reminded that each age interprets the world through its own symbolic language. The structured and precise aesthetic speaks to a modern fascination with precision and control. Just as mandalas serve as tools for meditation and understanding the cosmos, the Fenn machine part functions as a symbol of our era's technological prowess. We're drawn into its geometry, its purpose, and its place in the evolving narrative of human innovation.