Extremejonction 

Dominique Appia created this strange and compelling painting, Extremejonction, through a collision of the sacred and the everyday. The imposing Gothic cathedral looms large, yet it coexists with the mundane reality of a bustling train station, a space of transit and temporary encounters. Appia was a Swiss artist whose work often explored themes of urban alienation and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world. He grew up in Lausanne, Switzerland during a time when the country was experiencing industrialization. The painting’s composition brings together symbols of both permanence – the cathedral which evokes centuries of tradition, faith, and community – and transience – the train station as a symbol of the modern. Notice the lone figure on the bench. Is she waiting or reflecting? The visual tension of the scene invites us to ponder the relationship between the individual and the collective, between our spiritual aspirations and our daily lives, and whether we can find the sacred in the midst of our journeys.