In the Courtyard

Lattice

Lattice - 2012

A courtyard can be a magical place — outdoors, but enclosed and private, even in the center of the city. In many ways, the more urban the surroundings, the more magical that bit of private space and greenery seems. These images from a small courtyard here in Sarasota celebrate some of those feelings.

Someone's at the Gate

Someone's at the Gate - 2012

Ways

courtyard stairway

Stairway -- 2010

Stairways, doorways. Ways in and out. Their graphic qulaities attract my eye, and the ambiguity of where they lead teases my mind. These were both in one of the many interior courtyards in old Christiansted.

The courtyard has a few small offices along the back wall and a suite of offices in one of the buildings above. The center, open to the sky, had been the site of a now defunct restaurant (business opportunity anyone?). The door with the round window was behind the bar and had the patina of long and frequent use by many hands. It seemed to look back at me as if wondering where all the people had gone.

Door with round window

Doorway -- 2010