Monday, May 4, 2015

What makes a Space special?


As a result of a society's expectations of a 'perfect home' my studio practice started revolving around a study of my own house. An insight into people's obsessions with their homes merely fuelled my own obsession of using these imperfectly perfect spaces in my sculptures. It made me wonder about the connections of human beings with their space of residence. Our memories play a major role in creating these connections with these spaces that we inhabit. But is it just memories? On further research I realised that it is not just memories that make a space special. These memories linked to the space only make it special in relation to the objects that are associated with it. In Daniel Miller's book, 'A Comfort of Things', one finds a very relevant example in the first story-George has no objects in the space he lives in. His apartment cannot be described as home, but merely a space for sleeping for him. The lack of furniture or other such things in a space makes one feel alienated. 

In the 'Blue Octavo Notebooks', Franz Kafka states: 
“Everyone carries a room about inside him”

This further substantiates the fact that each individual needs a space that they can‘psychologically’refer to as their own-unavailable to those that surround them. The parameters of this space are defined by the individuals themselves. To further delve into this topic, I included different people in my study by asking them to draw/sketch a space they feel connected too. Every person drew a space that they thought was special to them, the reasons being- comfort, need for privacy, wonderment, fond memories a secret hideout and so on. Whatever their reasons may be to feel this special connection to a space, within the four walls or inside/under objects, it all points towards a need of possession. A possession of a space that is only known to them even if it is visible to others-the secret is shared between the individual and the space alone!We consume these spaces and they, us.





I see these drawings as an insight to an individual's personality therefore, picking up elements from the drawing which I feel are important to the drawer, I am making my own interpretation of their spaces. A step further would be to form connections of these spaces with the body. It is essential as our bodies define the spaces we are comfortable in. The connection of an individual is only formed with the space around them if their body is comfortable with it. 


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