Lovers, Builsing And A Photograph Poem by gershon hepner

The difference between lovers in the flesh and their
description is like that between a building
and a photograph. You know them only where
they are, and words are merest lily gilding.

Inspired by Sarah Williams Goldhagen’s article in TNR, November 18,2009 about the Swiss Pritzker-winning architect Peter Zumthor (“Place of Grace”) . She writes:

Even more than is the case with any building, comprehending one by Zumthor requires you to be there. Worlds unto themselves, Zumthor’s buildings change your world. Pictures cannot show that. This man understands the difference between a building and a photograph, and he designs the former, not the latter.

11/12/09