Energiecentrale Grand Mère, bij Montréal, Canada 1936

This photograph of the Grand Mère power plant, near Montreal, Canada, was taken by Wouter Cool, we don't know when. The starkness of the photo, the tonal greys, feels immediate. It’s the kind of industrial landscape that flattens space. Yet the composition creates a sense of depth and movement. Look at how the receding lines of the building and the repeating diagonal forms of the spillway create a sense of perspective. There's a stillness to the building in contrast to the motion of the water that churns into the St. Maurice River. It reminds me of some of those Bernd and Hilla Becher photos. That relentless horizontality of the plant makes it seem endless, like a symbol of endless energy. A reminder that, for some of us, the water goes on churning regardless. Cool's work, like all art, invites us to see the familiar world with fresh eyes, to find beauty in the everyday, and to consider the complex relationship between humanity and the environment. Like a conversation between generations of artists, each adding their voice to the ongoing dialogue.