Personenauto's worden op het dek van de oceaanstomer getakeld, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Frankrijk 1936

Wouter Cool made this photograph, "Personenauto's worden op het dek van de oceaanstomer getakeld, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Frankrijk," and like any good black and white photograph, it’s an essay in greyscale. Look closely, and you’ll find a range that dances from the matte flatness of the sea to the slick sheen of the cars being hoisted. The grainy texture feels almost tactile, like you could run your fingers over it and feel the grit of the scene itself. Check out the way the light catches the curve of the ship's hull. The car suspended in the air is this beautiful dark shape that feels almost precarious, and speaks to the industrial processes, and the many people involved. I'm reminded of the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher. They also have this obsession with industrial structure. Cool's photographs are these ongoing dialogues, each informing the other, with no final word, just a lot of interesting conversations.