Wednesday, May 9, 2007

The poetics of space





"But we still have books, and they give our daydreams countless dwelling places. Is there one among us who has not spent romantic moments in the tower of a book he has read? These moments come back to us. Daydreaming needs them. For on the keyboard of the vast literature devoted to the function of inhabiting, the tower sounds a note of immense dreams."

(Gaston Bachelard, "The Poetics of Space" 1958)
watercolour, fifi

In the houses of our childhood, the memories with which we construct our world,few of us will have had a tower like that of Gaston Bachelard.
Discussing this piece with a friend, she admitted to feeling very angry, because she had no house, just a string of rented apartments, and she resented the house described by Bachelard, with its towers and garrets and attics. In what kind of space do MY daydreams sit? she asked.

As for me, the places in which I construct my daydreams are many.
Some of the houses weren't even mine,
some of the most special
are only one room.
There was sun on the wall.

I loved it there. It is with me still, defining my understanding of the universe.

6 comments:

meggie said...

Oh Fifi, what lovely thoughts lie in your post.

little things said...

Excellent!
I believe I've moved 33 times now...and still recount something special about each place.

Princess Banter said...

I love the colors of that painting!!!

N@nc! said...

i also love the colors of that painting ^_^

meli said...

I love that Bachelard book. And I get very attached to rooms, too. It's good how you can carry them all around in your head once you leave. Nice blog!

fifi said...

Thanks all.

meli,
I love bachelard, though he is SO french, that his throught are almost only possible coming from a french existence, if that makes sense!
shall visit soon.