city of bridges

floating over the willamette, shuddering steel trusses

steel bridge 1

trembling under trains, railcars, trucks, cars, bicycles, runners and walkers

steel bridge 2

100 years of resonance – plates and bolts, straps and rails, pulsing synchronicity

steel bridge 3

100 years of rain, sun, wind, ice, heat – tracing a history of time in steel

steel bridge 4

steel bridge 5

steel bridge 6

one, of eight, in this city of bridges – “bridgetown” – the defining structures of the city of portland

burnside bridge 1

framing and connecting the city – east and west

steel bridge 7

steel bridge 8

steel bridge 9

steel bridge 10

steel bridge 11

beauty rediscovered, after decades past – seeing that,  just now

desert vision

“one breath of juniper smoke, like the perfume of sagebrush after rain, evokes in magical catalysis, like certain music, the space and light and clarity and piercing strangeness of the american west. long may it burn.”
― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire

buckskin gulch 1

buckskin gulch 2

buckskin gulch 3

buckskin gulch 4

buckskin gulch 5

drifting in red sands before the edge of the longest and deepest slot canyon, the landscape is full of magic. rock formations hold ancient petroglyphs, telling the story of the land and people that have lived here for thousands of years.

petroglyphs near buckskin gulch

sandstone formations 1

sandstone formations 2

sandstone formations 3

sandstone formations 4

sandstone formations 5

large swaths of this land were at the bottom of the ocean that divided the continent. now, it is rich with sage, juniper, scrub oak, and cacti – even moss.

tumbleweed 1

tumbleweed 2

tumbleweed 3

tumbleweed 4

tumbleweed 5

the colors, otherworldly – the designs of nature, striking.

desert cacti

desert flower

desert seed

desert cacti

flowering shrub

climbing deep into the slot canyon, the temperature drops, shadows slide over liquid stone. echoes of the floods – walls of water and debris, their markings left as tree trunks and branches held by the narrow walls, high overhead.

slot canyon 1

slot canyon 2

slot canyon 3

slot canyon 4

slot canyon 5

“men come and go, cities rise and fall, whole civilizations appear and disappear-the earth remains, slightly modified. the earth remains, and the heartbreaking beauty where there are no hearts to break….I sometimes choose to think, no doubt perversely, that man is a dream, thought an illusion, and only rock is real. Rock and sun.”
― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness

the stones

the wonder began, with the first lesson in the history of architecture

stonehenge 1

culminating in this walk - into the circle, at sunset – just past the equinox

stonehenge 2

sometime between 4 and 5 thousand years ago, how did they come to be..

stonehenge 3

standing in waves of wind and rain, holding the heat of the sun, reflecting moonlight, for millennia

stonehenge 4

what has happened, here — spiritual ritual, time-marking, sacrifice, burial..

stonehenge 5

more wonder

stonehenge 6

the stones are us, we are them – shaped by our hands, placed by our force

stonehenge 7 – sunset

they breathe, and watch the stars, clouds and moon arc across the sky

stonehenge 8

what source

stonehenge 9

the power of our being

stonehenge 10

and theirs, these living stones

stonehenge 11

a mystery

stonehenge 12

time architecture – spain.6

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..

silence architecture – spain.3

in the convents and monasteries of spain

the architecture speaks of silence

a shelter from the noise of life

for quiet reflection

for living in the silence of being

still

spirit architecture – spain.2

evening shadow in the alhambra gardens – granada, spain

in spain, for thousands of years, architecture has been infused with the essence of human spirit

catedral primada santa maria de toledo - spain

human form, and the spirit of imagination have inspired the creation of powerful structures

virgin of montserrat – santa maria de montserrat monastery, spain

for centuries the benedictine monastery of montserrat developed around the legend of the black virgin – now a place of pilgrimage for millions

santa maria de montserrat – spain

elaborate courtyards, passageways, plazas, and intricately detailed structures inspire the continual flow of seekers

ribbed vaults of the monastery of montserrat

angel gracing the entrance to the shrine at montserrat - spain

scripts, hands, ribs, angels, saints, spirits – all deeply embedded into the form, the essence of buildings, in every detail

in the cloister of tortosa cathedral – spain

spirits that have passed become part of the walls

tortosa cathedral angel – spain

spirits carved out of the same materials of the structure – radiant and alive – polished skin and stone made fluid into wings and robes

gauidi’s sagrada familia facade – barcelona, spain

spirits emerging out of the structure – in the arches, window frames, and columns – growing out of the stone and earth

gaudi's park guell - barcelona, spain

human spirits are lifted from the ground, through the columns, to the arches and domes – upward into the light

central dome of the sagrada familia - spain

a striking reminder of how architecture can be a powerful embodiment of the spirit – how it can be the soul of the people who create it, or of those who are held within

tortosa cathedral - spain

or the spirit of those who have passed through

catedral primada santa maria de toledo – spain

or the spirit of those who surround it, or the community that is sheltered or inspired by it’s presence

granada cathedral - spain

or the eyes looking toward what cannot be seen

santa maria del mar - barcelona, spain

windows into the past and future

santa maria del mar – barcelona, spain

or the realization of collective dreams

shadow at the alhambra gate - granada, spain

or places to find your own shadow, in the dreams of a thousand years past.

earth architecture – spain.1

cardona castle - spain

architecture grows out of the earth in spain. stones cut of the place, anchored and sited as extended forms of nature. architects were listening to the earth for thousands of years.

roman tower ruins of malaga, spain

evidence of this is everywhere – structures are part of the landscape, some only remnants, others cared for over centuries retain their energy inspired by nature.

castle at sunset – near nuevalos, spain

cut into the edges of serrated mountains, extending skyward from the hilltops, terraced in topographic lines.

montserrat - near barcelona, spain

are the mountains carved by hand, or the buildings wrought by mountains?

castilla – la mancha, spain

made by nature, or man – seamless.

generalife gardens - the alhambra, granada - spain

generalife gardens - the alhambra, granada - spain

gaudi's sagrada familia - barcelona, spain

gaudi's sagrada familia - barcelona, spain

are the forests buildings, or the buildings forests?

gaudi’s sagrada familia – barcelona, spain

barcelona cathedral - spain

are the trees columns or the columns trees?

olive tree - delta de l'ebre - tortosa, spain

blurring the divide between nature and man, dissolving into nothingness..

olive orchards - castilla - la mancha, spain

in spain, the architecture is earth, earth is architecture.

castillo de chinchón - spain

walls of alcazaba, malaga - spain

gaudi's park guell - barcelona, spain

here, architecture inspired by nature holds power that transcends lifetimes, cultures, civilizations and centuries. nature may be the best teacher of architecture, if we chose to listen.

light of the past

remembering

warehouse windows – seattle

streaming light

old garage windows – seattle

is seen

the cloisters – new york

in the reflections

walking shadow – decatur island

of what has come

the cloisters – new york

before

steam plant smokestack – spokane

lighthouse series #4 – cape florida lighthouse

historic photo – cape florida lighthouse, miami – key biscayne

in planning my first visit to miami, exploring the architectural heritage of south beach – morris lapidus’ fountainebleau, the streamline moderne art deco lined ocean drive, and a launching point to the everglades and onward to the southern tip of the country, key west.

pathway to the light – cape florida

on the lookout for old structures, and lighthouses – i found both here – the oldest structure in miami-dade county.

from the beach – cape florida lighthouse

the original lighthouse and cottage, built in 1825, were attacked and burned in 1836 by Seminole warriors protesting U.S. presence in the South Florida wilderness and resisting deportation from Florida to the West.

white light into blue – cape florida lighthouse

When the lighthouse was rebuilt in 1855-1856, it was extended from 65 feet to its present 95 feet in height, and wooden stairs were replaced with 119 spiraling iron steps to the top.

door marker – cape florida lighthouse

the first day i’d arrived too late.. the door, locked. i came back the next day, to climb

the light – cape florida lighthouse

119 steps

the climb – cape florida lighthouse

upward, the curving rhythm of steps, bolts, spiraling – hypnotic

spiraling structure – cape florida lighthouse

the spine – cape florida lighthouse

the steps – cape florida lighthouse

nearing the light – cape florida lighthouse

cape florida lighthouse

cape florida lighthouse

cape florida lighthouse

reaching the top platform, a door opens out to the sea

the place under the light – cape florida lighthouse

reconnecting to the brilliant sun, splintering light-shards over the water

the top, the sea – cape florida lighthouse

then one last climb, up to the housing of the beacon – original fresnel lens now replaced

at the top – cape florida lighthouse

final ascent – cape florida lighthouse

from the light to the sea – cape florida lighthouse

from here, the glass is etched with salted air, the ocean, shrouded in this veil

i wonder of the mysteries of all that has passed here before, seen and guided, held within the walls, shone out to the world

on this year-end, i wonder what will come out of the mist, in light

a journey

lowell observatory - flagstaff, arizona

i’ve been watching

saguaro cactus - on the road to sedona, arizona

studying details

the top of whistler mountain - british columbia, canada

breathing crystals

walking across decatur island - washington san juans

walking long

cairn, tree, island - in balance - decatur island, washington

balancing

abandoned schoolhouse - decatur island

seeing past

sunrise tree - decatur island

finding light

decatur pier

in every journey..