Hek in de Grote Kerk te Vianen c. 1890 - 1920

This photograph shows a screen or barrier in the Grote Kerk in Vianen, rendered in muted tones. I can only imagine the many considerations the photographer had while trying to capture the essence of the space. I wonder about the photographer, their sense of the building as a whole, and how they saw their task. How do you capture a building, and what choices do you make? What does it mean to take a photograph, and how do we decide what to keep or leave out? Did they feel a sense of responsibility to the building, or to the community it served? It reminds me of those photos I took last summer—all of them slightly overexposed. When we look at these images, we participate in an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time that celebrates ambiguity. It’s like one big, never-ending art class!