11/03/26: I do not know why but for as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with lines: outlines, boundaries, perspective lines and so forth. I often find myself following the line of architraves, picture or dado rails in the room where I am, with my eyes. I might begin at a single point such as a corner, (at ceiling height or carpet level) and divide the ‘cursor’ created by my eyes into two. These two pointers then separate and move away from one another in opposing directions, in order to trace the aforementioned boundary line around the room.
My view navigates window-frames, alcoves and chimney breasts until the two cursors unavoidably cross-over one another then continue on until arriving back at the starting point and coming together again. It is important to stress that this phenomenon only acknowledges straight lines; vertical and horizontal. Rarely diagonal. As a rule curves do not resolve in my brain for this exercise. I draw 3D wire-frame cubes in space based on my surroundings. If I ever doodle on paper I draw connected blocks. Or complex plumbing.
As I write I realise this mostly only occurs indoors; presumably because in the outdoors there cannot be a ceiling to enclose the space. When I used to draw and paint, whatever subject I was attempting was controlled by strict rules about perspective: railway lines bisected by level-crossing gates, paths, long runs of telephone wire on poles alongside a road, (an arrow-straight road, obvs.) or architecture – anything so long as it rushed away from me toward a vanishing point. Perhaps unsurprisingly I have long admired the work of M. C. Escher.
I’m sure this strange view of the world – literally my view – has influenced my photography also. I began taking photos roughly aged ten years old, so one can appreciate how long I have been afflicted. The wall in this (gasp, outdoor) photo has brickwork, pipes, signage and a window all perpendicular to one another; which all meet the criteria. In my mind the scene is let-down by the curved conduit which holds a cable carrying electricity to an emergency alarm. Clearly I’m losing a grip on my sensibilities as I age, because I saw it but decided to capture the image anyway. The onslaught of senility must be well under way.