this anniversary, i’m remembering the power – destructive, and life-creating, of the mountain i lived next to and climbed. I watched her crystalline reflection float in spirit lake from my earliest memories. mt. saint helens is still a lesson for me, the power of the life giving and life taking force of nature, the beauty and grace and challenge of that power. always remembering.
5.18.1980 – mount st. helens
i’ve considered the theory that time isn’t real – that it is simply our perceptive distance from the energy imprint of an event, a construct of our human condition that places us in this world in a way that we can comprehend, that it is simply a human limitation, not a reality.
the narrative time confluence that we frame our world and our lives around is simply a fabrication.
the concept of flow is interesting in it’s relationship to this reflection – that we are part of this flow, the vast confluence of an infinite number of occurrences, all interwoven – like an unfathomable cosmic river that we are dropped into, in our present moment, and if we could simply swim upstream or leap downstream, we’d still be in that flow, just in a different place.
is that why those structures that manifest layers of imprints become magnetic to so many of us? why thousands or millions continue to be drawn to those places - generation after generation? is that where we can see this flow and sense the echo of those events that occur upstream or downstream? is that why we want to create that physical imprint – so that we can re-discover it, generations later? i wonder..
key west lighthouse - florida
lighthouse door with banyan tree - key west lighthouse, florida
reflecting on the year past, and in to the light of the next..
wrought iron ring lock - key west lighthouse, florida
beginning the journey again, today — climbing the 88 steps of key west lighthouse, up to the light – to look out
stair tower - inside key west lighthouse - florida
lantern oil coiling upward - key west lighthouse, florida
on the southern edge of the country, a shimmering blue ocean in the most brilliant sun – a glimpse of light in the opening of the year to come
light portal - key west lighthouse - florida
seeing all beauty in light on this quest..
top of the lighthouse - key west, florida
the circular spiral, the stair is the passage of space and time, experience and energy, light and beauty
windows in the lighthouse cupola - key west, florida
an inspiring opening to 2011, a hope whispered in the wind – to see more light in all things
shaft window - key west lighthouse, florida
to see all light reflected, refracted, magnified, spectral – the pure energy of being alive
fresnel lens - key west lighthouse, florida
here
now
how far back in your mind do moments exist before they disappear?
high line park - northern expansion, new york
how distant is what we see before it all vanishes from sight?
georgetown brewhouse facade bracing - seattle
my son has been reflecting on the increasing distance as he looks back on memories of earlier times , places and experiences – and how they recede in scale, almost disappear. his thoughts sparked more reflection on the scale of things that we see, and how they recede into the distance, and then – - vanish altogether?
new york subway - 5th avenue
the fundamental principle of architectural drawing is this — everything is seen in relationship to the vanishing point. in essence, it’s the center of everything, that point of nothing. all matter is stretched out on a grid from there – horizontal and vertical lines, all tying back, infinitely shrinking, disappearing completely from sight. vanishing.
hanalei pier - kauai, hawaii
where is it that point? it’s where your eye is drawn, at the center — or, at the farthest periphery.
banyan tree - central java, indonesia
like a black hole – everything and nothing in convergence. in looking deeper, and wondering, as we experience the world, what sense do we really have of the present? if none of the five senses work in the moment – as they are delayed by our sensory limitations – are we living in the past? is time merely a concept of relative perception, not a reality? if we could subsume our sensory input, would we have some other existent reality – in the present? and would we feel the matter that is manifest, in the moment? would we have clearer vision? would the vanishing point even exist?
chihuly boathouse - lake union, seattle
maybe not. maybe we would experience a transformation of perspective, an opening to the energy of all that is. rather than a vanishing point, an infinite expansion to the universe.
yesterday's sunrise - jfk, new york
that would make us the vanishing point.
a continuing quest for the energy of place – of soul and spirit, and it’s embodiment in architecture.
begun without knowing, still going there, and still learning more. and sometimes looking back to what i’ve found, what does it mean, where does it lead?
barn loft - 1976, willamette valley, oregon
i’ve always been drawn toward structures in a state of dissolution. being in a city with less than 2 centuries of built history, it was a rare discovery to find the evidence of a deeper past. the barns – weathered, raw, split, and worn – are my earliest memory of being captivated by the dissolution of structures.
these photographs are early experiments with a single lens reflex camera and darkroom, over 30 years ago. exploring the edges of the city, looking for abandoned structures, dissolving barns, and the acts of nature on anything manmade. hours spent capturing them on black and white film, and watching them emerge in the chemicals of the darkroom – finding them a source of inspiration, wonder, and never-ending exploration.
abandoned home - 1976, southwest portland
a source of intrigue - the deeper, richer, and mysterious story they tell. in the span of decades, i’ve shot hundreds of images.
in bhutan, there is a tradition of wonderous beauty in built structures, from the simplest barn to the grandest temple – and there are also beautiful ruins, everywhere.
chorten - bhutan
in the deep experience of powerful energy and respect of wrathful deities in bhutan’s buddhist practice, there are many rituals to acknowledge their powers, and to enlist the guidance and protection of the enlightened ones. some homes, if not cared for both physically and spiritually, were left to ruin – powerful reminders for mindful practice.
farmhouse ruins - bhutan
these places tell of the power and spirit of the hands of their origin, of those whose lives were contained within, their dreams, and passing, the era they came from. of the time and natural cycles that pass in continual rhythm of unfurling, celebration, sadness, dreams and the winds that carry them away.
sultanahmet - istanbul
in istanbul, nearby the glorious blue mosque and aya sofia, ancient and continually cared for, restored – there are also the dissolving remnants of others, left to slowly succumb to the forces of nature, in the cycling of time.
humayun's tomb - delhi
on the grounds of the beautiful tomb of humayun, there are these structures – what were they for? why were they left to dissolve, while others are carefully protected? there are more powerful sites in this collection of images, and in my mind - from java, northern africa, turkey, southeast asia, and here in our backyard – explored, and to be explored, deeper. i’ll post the entire collection with a link, and then, keep going there, farther, deeper, into the mysteries.
chorten wall - paro, bhutan
being here, and looking closer - finding the heart within the walls
what is a place of wonder? why are some places full of wonder. what makes a place wonder full?
treasure cave - cliffs of taktsang monastery, bhutan
which is more full of wonder – the creations of humanity or natural wonders? how would you choose only seven?
great buddha at kotoku-in temple, kamakura, japan
how do some places capture the essence of a culture, an era, a civilization, an empire?
great wall of china
do places of wonder hold the power of the dreams, the collective spirit of a people?
holding sun and ocean
where are the energy lines, the intersections of spiritual resonance, epicenters of power?
borobudur and mount merapi - java, indonesia
are there places where your dreams are entwined with those that have come before?
humayun's tomb - delhi, india
i’m wandering in the world of wonders, looking for the soul of place, seeking the spirit held within our dreams.
bamboo forest - kyoto, japan
hand study 1
today, exploring one hand with another - and the line of energy stretching from one hand, to my eyes, to my mind, to my drawing hand.
hand study 2
thinking about that connection – mind and body – and how the way we live and work is a continual disconnection of being. being human, spirit in body, eyes in hands.
hand study 3
hand study 4
the eye, the hand, and the mind – a mystical triad, magical connection – a resonant interplay of power, in the creative manifestation of life.
hand study 5
hands tell the stories of our lives.
hand study 6
“a hand lying on the shoulder or thigh of another body no longer belongs completely to the one it came from” – rainer maria rilke.
hand study 7
new york city lights
working in the city this week – after being away for months, was striking. the convergence of people, cultures, flowing in a great choreography – full of light and energy. a city thriving in the present tense.
guggenheim spirals
here, the sound of many languages echo along the sidewalk, the world in every step - and a layered history in every block - architecture of centuries past, of the moment, and of the future.
fifth avenue at 57th
there is the constant show of human activity, creativity, inpiration, and discovery – if you are watching ..
bergdorf goodman window
and a pulsing world of the underground, running through the arteries of the city – a subterranean theatre of performing arts, fashion, and fleeting conversations..
subway
the pounding noise and amalgam of scents, steam, fog, showers, icy wind, sirens, music — mix in a forceful charge to the senses. such an inspiring, unforgettable and amazing place.
queensboro bridge
how many have tied their souls to this city?
st. thomas church - fifth avenue
