Public Story
Views of the Capitol
The Capitol building is not visible from everywhere in D.C. but its presence is constantly felt. From under the dome comes our laws, our culture clashes, our history, and our future as a nation. As I walk around the streets of D.C. photographing I keep thinking of Katsushika Hokusai’s, Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji. Hokusai's paintings, while very much about the mountain, are deeply about the lives of the people who live in the surrounding prefectures in view of the mountain. In the Shinto religion trees, lakes, rocks, and mountains are the dwelling places of spirits called Kami, which hold influence over human affairs. How much Mount Fuji influences the lives of the people in Hokusai’s paintings is open for debate, or is it?
The U.S. Capital is the seat of power but the Capital Building is not Washington D.C. The legislation and mores created in its marbled halls effect the daily lives of Americans in direct and indirect ways. Same as the Kami influence Shinto believers.
The Capitol Building plays other - often paradoxical - roles in American culture. It’s a symbol of freedom that was, to a large extent, built by slaves. It’s a hallowed space that’s found on on t-shirts and key-chains in every tchotchke shop in the District.
The U.S. Capitol Building is what it needs to be, for everyone.
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