Block Island

Block Island is a study of resolute courage and dignity. The house stands alone, severe, crisp of line. It supports the proud light tower. A single antique auto stands in its fenced yard; a solitary figure, back turned to the viewer, strides toward the comfort and consolation that the house offers.

The sea has eroded the rocky coast; in centuries to come, the house itself will surely fall before the waters inexorable advance. A solitary ship sets out on its voyage to an unknowable destination, led away from danger by the stoic resident of Block Island.

I love lighthouses. The severe, uncompromising life of service led by lonely lighthouse keepers possesses a special dignity. Poised between the last outcroppings of land and the vast expanse of ocean, the lighthouse has become a profound symbol of human life – poised as it is between the transitory and the eternal.