Chapel of St Basil, St Thomas University

Janet and I had breakfast with Michael Young one of the Learning Blog team members. Michael is a free thinker, very well educated in the arts and a very stimulating conversationalist. I am constantly astounded by the way Michael's mind works putting together thoughts and ideas that I would hardly associate in a way that makes sense. This is our second breakfast and I can tell you they are the highlight of my week.

Michael has recently posted a photograph to the learning blog that has a quality that I greatly admire but seldom can achieve, mystery. We got to discuss the photograph this morning and I was surprised to learn that what I thought was a witch's hat shaped cone in the photograph was actually a slit like entrance into a building, the Chapel of St Basil at the University of St Thomas.

When Janet and I first married we lived only a few blocks southeast of St Thomas and Janet worked in the block just to the west so we spent a great deal of time in the area and attended many music and dance functions at the University. However, we moved out of the area in 1982 and the Chapel of St Basil was constructed in 1997. We have driven past the back of the Chapel on Alabama numerous times but we have never stopped. I have always intended to because the architect Phillip Johnson is one of my favorite architects and I enjoy photographing churches.

Michael's photograph intrigued me, so after Janet had a short rest we drove over to the to visit the Chapel. It is an extremely interesting building and although I do not feel that I did it anywhere near justice today I really liked a few of the photographs. Now I want to go back and photograph it in various lighting conditions. It would be great to get inside to do some interior shots.