The third position goes to Andres Sanchez' 'Piazza San Marco':
A more symbolic touch is provided by Andres Sanchez image above ('Piazza San Marco'). Dry steps, giving your feet a firm ground, change into slippery moss-coated steps that finally lead into the plane water. These steps can be interpreted as successive phases of life, leading from the secure childhood into the risks of adolescence before the final jump into adult life. This is just one possible interpretation, there are others too, which I leave to your imagination. The composition is perfect, and so is the technical execution.
The second position is given to Brad Troy's 'U.S. Supreme Court Columns and Stairs #2':
In Brad Troy's 'U.S. Supreme Court Columns and Stairs #2' we have a younger version of the first image on the list - the one from Tim van Woensel. Let me explain this: T. van Woensel referred in his image to antique greek steps. Brad Troy, though, is referring to a building from the 19th century, yet the columns try to reconstruct an old Roman or Greek temple. Thus, these columns point into the past, accentuating the upleading steps as parts of a historical building, or - consequently - as parts of history. This context makes the observer wonder: Who are the people, who have climbed up these steps in the long timespace of history? Brad Troy has found a powerful setup to attach substantial architectural elements to the impact of the history, they are referring to. Again, presence and past as two dimensions of time, get effectfully linked to each other. The picture is not B&W, there are discrete coloured textures at the wall, although greyshades are dominating. The whole composition is airing firmness and harmony.
And here is the winner: Peter Voet with his 'Steep way up':
An obvious but nonetheless powerful interpretation is offered by Peter Voet's 'The steep way up'. The orange gowns of these Indian monchs attract the observer's eye immediately to the essential of the image: the hurdles taken to climb up into higher spheres, which are yet not shown. The symbolic message is highly visible. All needless elements are eliminated. This image is a fantastically elaborated representation of the religious mission behind it.
I wish you all Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Claudia
