Ingang van de tunnels van Fort Peck Dam, Montana, Verenigde Staten 1936

Wouter Cool made this gelatin silver print of the tunnels of Fort Peck Dam in Montana. This image, with its stark contrast and meticulous composition, really pulls me in. I can feel the artist carefully considering the play of light and shadow, making these tunnels look like these monumental sculptures. I imagine Cool, out there in Montana, positioning himself just so, waiting for the right moment to capture the immensity of this construction. The wooden structures around the tunnel entrance almost look like skeletal drawings. This balance between the man-made and the natural is so interesting, it reminds me of Bernd and Hilla Becher’s photographs of industrial buildings. It's like Cool is having a conversation with them, across time and place, about form, function, and the way we shape the world around us.