Ariel Dam, Washington [staat], Verenigde Staten: autobus 1936

Wouter Cool made this photograph of a bus in Washington State, United States; I want to know who Ariel Dam is! I guess the photographer did too. It’s a black and white image, capturing a very specific moment in time. I’m curious about the act of photographing itself, about how this image came into being through trial, error, and intuition. I feel for Cool, out there trying to capture the perfect shot of a bus. What was he thinking about as he framed the shot, waited for the guy in the cap to step down? Did he think anyone would be looking at it nearly 100 years later? Photography, like painting, is a process of inquiry, a way of seeing and experiencing the world. Cool's work reminds us that all artists are in conversation across time, inspiring each other. It’s a reminder to embrace ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations. Because that’s how meaning happens!