At first, they are simply safety devices — grids of dots, ridges, and bumps designed to guide and protect.

But as I began photographing them, they revealed another role: systems of order, patterns of rhythm, and traces of human routine.

THEY ARE FUNCTIONAL, YES, BUT ALSO STRANGELY POETIC DESIGN THAT IS FELT BEFORE IT IS SEEN. EVERY EVENING, OF STEPPING ON THE TILE OUTSIDE MY BLOCK SIGNALS THE END OF THE DAY. IT IS THE CITY'S QUIET CUE, THE PUNCTUATION AT THE CLOSE OF ROUTINE...