space: poetic abstraction
Fire
What makes a fire burn is ‘space’
between the logs
a breathing space
too much of a good thing
too many logs
packed in too tight
can douse the flame………..
when we are able to build
open spaces in the same way
as we have learned to pile
on the logs,
then we can come to see
how it is fueled and
absence of fuel altogether
that makes fire possible
we only need to lay a log lightly
from time to time
a fire grows
simply because the space is there
with openings
in which the flame that knows
just how it wants to burn
can find its way.
When I read these lines by Judy Brown, I thought there can be many analogies drawn from this beautiful abstraction of the phenomenon of fire and its relation with space. The one that particularly got me intrigued, was how to illustrate its parallel with space design.
Just as this careful balance of logs & space enable the flame to dance at its will, similarly balanced layout of a space with enough room invites spontaneous dance of curated beauty with the beauty that emerges; the space that allows unscripted drama to unfold alongside the contemplated aesthetic of a space.
We need to let a space breathe through the seasonal change of landscape & changing natural light. It’s allowing light, time, and chance to reveal something one couldn’t have planned. This way we can create a design narrative that incorporates seamless jigsaw of tactile and non-tactile in the scheme of overall design.
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