Boulder Dam, Arizona/Nevada, Verenigde Staten 1936

Wouter Cool captured this image of the Boulder Dam in Arizona and Nevada, using photography as a way of documenting not just what he saw, but how he experienced this feat of engineering. The stark black and white palette emphasizes the dam's monumental scale and the almost brutalist forms. Look at how the light rakes across the curved face of the dam, creating these subtle gradations that almost feel like the soft strokes of a brush. The sharp shadows cast by the architectural details add depth, creating a play between geometric precision and organic, almost painterly textures. The heavy, grounded forms remind me of the work of the Bechers, Bernd and Hilla, who also had a fascination with industrial structures. This photograph isn’t just a record; it’s an interpretation, an invitation to consider the strange beauty found in the man-made landscape. It shows us the power and poetry of simple observation.