Borculo -- Na de cycloon op 10 augustus 1925 1925

This photograph by Weenenk & Snel captures the aftermath of a cyclone in Borculo on August 10, 1925. The sepia tone lends a feeling of distance, like looking back through time. I am drawn to the texture created by the rubble and broken windows. The eye zigzags across the facade, as if moving through a musical score, following the syncopated rhythms of destruction. Look at that jagged opening at the top of the building! It’s as if the roof has been peeled back like the lid of a tin can, exposing the building's interior. There is something both violent and tender in the gesture. This photograph makes me think of the work of Gordon Matta-Clark, who made art by cutting directly into buildings, slicing open the facade of the everyday to reveal something new. Ultimately this image reminds us that art can be found in the most unexpected places, even in the face of devastation.