Shwedagon pagode, Rangoon c. 1895 - 1915

P. Klier took this photograph of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon with a camera and film at some point in the past. Look at all that detail! It’s like the photograph itself is a form of architecture, built up layer by layer. What strikes me most is the texture—those incredibly intricate carvings on the pagoda, repeated across every surface. It's overwhelming, almost dizzying, and yet there's a strange sense of order to it all. It reminds me of some of the dense, all-over patterns you see in folk art. The eye never rests; it's constantly moving, searching for a place to land. I'm reminded of Bernd and Hilla Becher, the German photographers who captured industrial structures. Both Klier and the Bechers share this interest in documenting the world through the lens, emphasizing the formal qualities of their subjects and opening up a space for us to contemplate the beauty and strangeness of human-made environments. It’s not a snapshot; it's a statement.