30 March 2010
“darkness is not the mere absence of light; it has some positive quality. whereas bright space disappears, giving way to the material concreteness of objects, darkness is “thick”; it directly touches a person, enfolds, penetrates, and even passes through him. thus the “self is permeable to the dark but not to the light”; the feeling of mystery we experience at night probably stems from this.” [Caillois, 1935]
i’m reminded of the otherwise insignificant moments when i walk down the level 6 corridor and the low-penetrating evening sun triumphs in casting odd blades of pure light deep in the heart of the building. if every deviation from the earth’s surface can act as a sun dial, in a sense, the matthew building is a well crafted time-machine.
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