C-huis. (Tydelyk kantoor) (Aug. 1926.) 1926 - 1928

This photograph called C-huis (Tydelyk kantoor) was taken in August 1926 by an anonymous artist. Here is the temporary office—a very un-temporary looking building, with a car parked outside, and people sitting in the doorway and by the side. The artist must have been drawn to the building's simple geometric forms and the play of light and shadow across its surfaces. I wonder if the artist had an exchange with the people, whether they were asked to pose or were caught unawares. There’s a careful framing of the building within the photograph, positioning the viewer at a distance. It has an elegance that reminds me of some of the architectural studies by artists like Bernd and Hilla Becher. The decision to present this image as part of the museum's collection shows how art and design are always inspiring and informing each other, regardless of their apparent purposes. We are always in conversation with each other.