Blog 9

The Interior of our Van / Spaces that I inhabit

We had the full-on de-clutter on Friday - books, cupboards, draws, clothes, equipment, the lot, and the van looks more tidy now, even though nothing visually has really changed. I feel more organised, in control and ready. Ready for what. And the beauty of our van is that this task doesn't take too long, as we only have a finite amount of 'stuff' and a finite amount of space to put 'stuff' in. The longer we travel, the more we realize what we need and what we can do without and we are certainly not at Pam and Gary's level yet!

One of my favourite books is by French philosopher Gaston Bachelard called The Poetics of Space. First published in 1958, to describe the book I will quote from the back cover,
" ... one of the most appealing and lyrical explorations of home. Bachelard takes us on a journey, from cellar to attic, to show how our perceptions of houses and other shelters shape our thoughts, memories, and dreams".

Whatever and wherever a home might be, Bachelard beautifully describes the home in terms of it's layout and design, storage of belongings, spaces we inhabit and move around in, size - from the intimate to the immeasurable, order and disorder. In the book, Bachelard writes about the differences between inside and outside and the sense of being and not being, discussing the metaphysical aspects and nature of existence.

What is 'home'? What does 'home' mean to you?

I have done a small drawing of the interior of our van and I was thinking about what parts of it I inhabit, be it sleeping, sitting down, eating, cooking etc. I have 7 metres by 2.4 metres to play with. That is for both of us, besides the infinity of outside. When we change location, I might change where I sit. It's not just about the view, but something much deeper.

We are all creatures of habit, even Shawn and I, even though we lead a more 'care free' life. Personal habits, shared habits, public habits. Think about what habits you have. Some of your habits will make you cross, other habits you have will make you smile, and some of your habits might make you cringe...

I am currently reading Wanderlust A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit. She talks about how in contemporary society, we don't walk like we used to and we move from one interior to another interior by mechanical transport. I am guilty of this. I might spend 3-4 days in the van, and move from the van to the car to the supermarket. I walked a lot when we were touring the UK, but the last 4 months I have been pre-occupied with other pursuits. At our next destination, I must walk out more often.

This latest blog really links back to my thoughts about pods and cells, movement and contrasts in Blog 6. It is also about spaciality.

When I draw it reflects my mental state and how I am feeling at a certain time. My creativity will be influenced by my surroundings. The schematic drawing at the top explores divisions and links between spaces, connections and separations, the inside and outside. Blank spaces are often seen as a negative spaces or voids, suggesting emptiness or loss, but I like the quote from artist Tania Kovats who describes blank spaces like "... a subject being suspended in time as well as space, removed from the world for quiet contemplation".

The black dots look like they are quivering in the blank spaces and describe parts of the whole space that I inhabit the most, or move around in. Perhaps they portray a sensation of claustrophobia or a fear of confined spaces. As artist Louise Bourgeoise once said in an interview "I love claustrophobic spaces. At least you know your limits".

I love our van, my home. It is my shelter. We do have some 'stuff' stored in England, but everything I own, for daily living, is with me. I am like a snail carrying her shell on her back. It's like a big handbag or box. What do you carry in your box?

Book references:

The Poetics of Space  Gaston Bachelard

Wonderlust A History of Walking Rebecca Solnit

The Drawing Book Tania Kovats