Hopi House in de Grand Canyon, Verenigde Staten 1936

Wouter Cool made this photographic print of the Hopi House at the Grand Canyon. I look at this image and I think about the artist, Cool, setting up his camera, framing the shot, and thinking about how to capture the spirit of this special building, with its geometric design. I wonder about his relationship to the Hopi House; was he just passing through, or did he stay there? Did he find beauty and significance in the forms of this architecture? It makes me think about the tradition of artists painting or photographing sites that hold a deep historical meaning. Cool, like the other artists that came before and after him, was interested in capturing both the beauty of the structure and the spiritual significance of the place. When we see artworks of buildings it gives us a way to connect with each other across time and space.