ALL ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

Reading in Bachelard, it was gratifying to hear him contemplate memory, space and time.  He posits the theory that memory is free of time.  That is to say, our memories are devoid of a time component.  He uses the analogy of fossils.    And this may very well be true.  Any memory that I have is more analogus to a shapshot, rather than  to a video.

That is not to say that we do not remember time sequences.  We do remember time sequences.  But these are more of a series of still images, rather than 30fps full video.

In this discourse on memory, he goes on to say that his memory is quite sufficient for his inspiration.  He says that he does not need to go outside for inspiration, given that with his memories, he already has gone out.    I like this thought as it relates to our workplan to draw from photos that we take.  The memory you have of the space that the object is in, the memory that you have of walking around the building, is, in Bachelard’s estimation, quite sufficient.  p11.

Then in this context of memory, he hits us with this incredible statement,

“Thus we cover the universe with drawings we have lived.  These drawings need not be exact.  They need only to be tonalized on the mode of our inner space.”  p 12

Can you believe it?  A statement like this makes me think that Transparent Drawing has organic origins.  It makes me think that TD has strong ties to history and to human psychology.

It is almost as if Bachelard predicts Transparent Drawing when he uses the words living, drawing, tones and inner space.