Ritual Indication, Alton, Staffordshire, England 1977

Thomas Joshua Cooper made this photograph, Ritual Indication, in Alton, Staffordshire, England. I like the way the grayscale tones pull out the textures of the ruin. It's all about surface here. Looking at the brickwork, you can almost feel the rough texture of the stone. It makes you wonder about the people who built the structure, and the lives lived within its walls. It's a reminder that everything, even the most solid structures, eventually crumbles. The way the branches frame the building is really striking. Like the eye is naturally drawn to it. The wild, organic lines of nature, contrast with the rigid geometry of the architecture. This photograph has echoes of work by artists like Anselm Kiefer, who explores themes of history, memory, and the weight of the past. It’s an image to be contemplated, a quiet meditation.