Key West’s red, yellow, and black Southernmost Point marker stands beside a seawall and fence overlooking blue ocean.

Where Land Yields

MG-0573

key west Florida · 2020-08-30

About this piece

The Southernmost Point marker in Key West, Florida, rises against a broad expanse of turquoise sea and cloud-dotted sky. An ochre seawall leads diagonally toward its painted bands, while a black iron fence establishes a vertical rhythm at the right. Bright light and an empty foreground lend this familiar landmark an unusually quiet presence.

The story

Late August light spreads across the open water beyond Key West. On the marker, the Conch Republic emblem and the words “90 Miles to Cuba” hold the island’s distinctive identity and its neighboring shore in view. The seawall draws the eye toward the painted concrete, then releases it to the horizon. Here, at the edge of the pavement, distance becomes a long, uninterrupted field of blue.

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