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Loredoloremolortioconsequat.Duiexercipitautemnosdignisi.Duisnostoet,quisaditlaorersustiemagnafeugait,sedminexeracillutalisnullutinulputatadtatedit el eldoluptatnim ipisi ea faci erostoconessi euguerocommod tatullandremagnaconsed tatnonheniamdelutdolumveleniamcosequatveldeldipeummodoortingetelitexexerocortinibheugiamillaorefeugaitatedoloboreet,quitedoleseqamcoreetuedigniatnumquieugait,quisnibheuipitlortingerincinciliteugiat.Loreconullumiuremautefeuguedeliquisitinheniataugiatinercildolorperoodmodolorevullutemquam,sustodoloralisiblamduiblandrefeugiamet,quamconequat.Utdolorperat.Utullutvoloreetuemagnimdoloborirituteeafeuguefaciduimodipsumiustodelineugiametumvenimeugaitlanhenisautdolenitloboretedoloremolessitdoluptat.Lorerosadelitingelessedoeugaitlorautniamvulputeugaitverostruddignimnonsemodolenibheugiamiuredoloreet,velisisdoloreentloreraesectetinhenimquatingexeraugaitveldolutnonullafeuguercitietetueconvelitacillam,consequatemagnisliritvelitatemiusciduntinexersedtieditat.Duisauguerat.

Duiseuisadipercieafacingestrudmagnacortioeufaccumalisi.Loriustruderiusciiquatlutullutpat.Utpraesetemquatiefeugaitesedtataccummooborecommodmodeummodoorpersuscitatwisnullutpataccumsandioexeratinhentlaoradmagnaconsenisdoloraugiamiritlafacitatduntaugaitlorsequatalit,venimquametat.Loreteminutalitatdolorincinetdipissienditnumsanhenitvullam,quataugaitamaugait

In1904aSwedishmathematiciancalleddeKochdescribedawaytofoldinfinityupsoneatly itmightfit inyourhand,or theheadof apin. Imaginea triangle, all threesidesthesamelength.Forgetyourhighschoolgeometry,heperformedamiracleonthishumbleshape.Imagineaverysimpletransformation,repeatedendlessly;inthemiddleofeachside,attachanother,smallertriangle,athirdthesizeoftheoriginal.Nowwehavesomething likea starofDavid.Oneachof the twelve sidesof thestar,againattachasmallertriangle.Andagain.Andagain.Theoutlinebecomeslikeasnowflake.

Keepgoing.Nowit’sacrystal.Aseacreature.Apieceofcauliflower.

Keepgoing,ontoinfinity,foldingandfolding.

Theoutlinebecomesmoreandmoredetailed.IfyouweretodrawacircletouchingallthreecornersoftheoriginaltriangletheKochcurvewouldneverspreadbeyondit,nomatterhowmanytimesyourepeattheprocess.Andyetthecurveisinfinitelylong,solongthatifyouunfoldedit, itwouldstretchtotheedgeoftheuniverse.Amiracle.Afiniteshapecontainingalineofinfinitelengthenfoldedinsideit.

WilliamBlakeknewaboutthissortofthing,seeingaworldinagrainofsand,andhewasn’ttalkingaboutpeeringdownamicroscope.Hewasontosomethingbigger.

Keepgoing.Acoastlineemerges.Hawaii.Norway.

NotesontheFertilityofGaps

Languageisacrude,inexacttool.Offthepegratherthantailorcut,itneverquiteexpressesthe experience it describes. Paradoxically, the gaps and flaws that emerge from thisuncomfortablefitprovidethementalspacetocreateunexpectedinterpretationsthatopenthedescribedexperiencetounimaginedperspectives.Thegapbecomesacreativeforcethatmutatestheknowexperienceintoawhollynewphenomenon.

Arecognitionofthepossibilitiesandpitfallsoflanguagehasprovidedthebasisformanyof themostprofitable experiments in contemporary culture fromLewisCarroll’sAlicein Wonderland to James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake and the cut-up novels of WilliamBurroughs.Likewisethesegapsinlanguagehavecometorepresentsomethingdeeperinthehumanpsyche–bothadesireforthedissolutionofselfandasenseoftheisolationwecanexperienceifcommunicationisimpossible.Ourgraspofreality,ourholdonmemoryandourmappingofspaceallseemtorelyonthesolidfoundationsoflanguage.Intuition,though, persuades us to seek out gaps and territories beyond the known – slippery,mutatingspaceswhereasJoyceputsit‘everyperson,placeandthinginthechaosmosofAlle...wasmovingandchangingeverypartofthetime.’

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It’sworthremembering, in timesofneed, that vanishingly tiny amountsofpotentsubstancecanbeeffective.

Thinkofhomeopathy.

Progressivedilutionsofthe‘mothertincture’oftenresultinaremedythatdoesn’tcontainevenonesinglemoleculeoftheoriginalsubstance,andyetanecdotalevidenceatteststotheeffectivenessofhomeopathicremedies.

TinctureofHope.

Fourquotes:

1. The unconscious is founded on a gap, on the lack in the Other. This could bedemonstratedinthewayinwhichamusicalscoreisstructured.Takeanymusicalscoreandanytwonotes,nomatterhowinfinitesimaltheirvalue,andtherewillalwaysbeagapbetweenthem.Andyet,althoughthisinfinitediscontinuityisunderscoredbythecaseofmusic,itwillhaveaneffect,aneffectofjouissance.

2.CaudillexploresLacan’slanguagetheorywithreferencetothedoctrinaldebateovercontractualgap-filling.Thesilencesorgapsincontracts--unaddressedcontingencies--functionasanunconscioussourceofmeaning.

3.Languagenamesthingsandthusmurdersthemasfullpresences,creatinganalienationbetweenthewordandthething,analienationthatinfersgapsoraternarityintolanguageitself.

4.Nothingcomesfromtheunconsciousbywayofthedreambutincoherentmeaningthatitfabricatesinordertoclothewhatitarticulateslikeaphrase…Therebusofthedeciphereddreamshowsagapinmeaning,anditisinnothingelsethatitconnotesadesire. Sa

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HaroldPinter,knownforthesilencesandgapsinhisplaysasmuchasfortheirobliquelyviolent conversations, commented on the fragility of communication and the writingprocessinhisNobelacceptancespeech:

Ihaveoftenbeenaskedhowmyplayscomeabout.Icannotsay.NorcanIeversumupmyplays,excepttosaythatthisiswhathappened.Thatiswhattheysaid.Thatiswhattheydid.

Mostoftheplaysareengenderedbyaline,awordoranimage.Thegivenwordisoftenshortlyfollowedbytheimage.Ishallgivetwoexamplesoftwolineswhichcamerightoutoftheblueintomyhead,followedbyanimage,followedbyme.

TheplaysareTheHomecomingandOldTimes.ThefirstlineofTheHomecomingis‘Whathaveyoudonewiththescissors?’ThefirstlineofOldTimesis‘Dark.’

IneachcaseIhadnofurtherinformation.

Solanguageinartremainsahighlyambiguoustransaction,aquicksand,atrampoline,afrozenpoolwhichmightgivewayunderyou,theauthor,atanytime.

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Idonotlikelanguage(butitdoesnotfollowthatIadvocateitsdisuseormisuse–justthecontrary),butIlovewords.(Pleaseforgivethisdigression:forsomereasonwespeakas though therewereaconnectionbetweenwordsandobjects.Oneof the interestingpropertiesofbothwordsandobjectsisthattheyrepeleachother.Ioftenliketocombinethem in art works by nailing or gluing them together because of the vibration thiscauses.)JimmieDurham

ThephilosopherJohnSuttonruminatesona17thcenturyFrenchtextandthedesiretocommunicateaccurately.Hisfinalremarksjuxtaposethisdesirewithanequallyhumancounterwishforamnesiacgapsinhistory:

Recentprehistoriansof soundrecordinghave recoveredanexoticEuropean fantasyoftheearly1630s.ApamphletcalledLecourrierveritabletoldParisiansofastrangespongediscoveredbyaCaptainVosterlochonavoyagetotheSouthSeas.Localpeopleusedthesespongestocommunicateacrosslongdistances:amessagespokenintooneofthemwouldbeexactlyreplayedwhentherecipientsqueezeditappropriately.

Thesewondroussponges,then,wereuniquecognitivetools,soakingupsound,embodyingparticularacousticsignalsinanunusuallyporousmedium.Theyarestrangeobjectstohavehad this cognitiveandcultural role, even inan imaginary spaceof earlymodernEuropeanfantasy.Asacognitiveartifact,thespongewasmorecommonlyafigurefortheeffacingofmemory,sothatConfession,forexample,couldbedescribedas“thathappySpunge,thatwipethoutalltheblottesandblurresofourlives”.

Interplanetary Dust Particles are the tiniest of meteorites, microscopic specks ofancientmatterfromthespacesbetweenstars.This‘cosmicdust’fallsconstantlytoearthfromthefarthestreachesofspace,40,000tonsofitayear,floatingdownonuslikeasoftrain.Whenitlandsitsinkstotheseabedwhereitliesundisturbed,orduststheicefloesofthepolarregionswhereitisgatheredforresearch.

Oritcollects,withtheskinflakesandpollutionparticlesundertheradiatorsofsuburbanhomes.Youcanseethiscosmicdustintheatmosphere,justbeforesunriseandjustaftersunset,intheglowingtrianglewhichlightstheskywhenthesunisjustbelowthehorizon,aphenomenonknownas‘zodiacallight’.

scanningelectronmicroscopeimagesofinterplanetarydustparticles

It’s January twenty-six. I’m freezing.EdFitzgerald,Agenineteen.five feet ten inches,blackhair,browneyes.GoinghometoBostonMassachusetts, It’s fourp.m.,andI’mhungryandbroke.IwishIwasdead.ButtodayIamaman.

Longbeforethepost-moderninventionofthe‘non-place’therewerelegendarysitesofnowhere.Timbuktu,forone.Theyexistedbutatamythicaldistancethatstoodforakindofdisappearance.Often,theplaceisavitalcrossroads,apatchofnothinglinkingmanyroadstosomething.Butpassingthroughnowhereleavesitsmark.

Barstow,Califormia.AcrossroadsintheMohavedesert.Oneofalistinthesong‘Route66’.Americancomposer,HarryPartch,hitchhikedthroughthetownandin1941wroteapiecededicatedtoeighthikerswhocarvedgraffitiinaguardrailwhilewaitingforalift(‘Whyinhelldidyoucome,anyway?’).

In1971,HunterS.ThompsondrovethroughBarstowwithOscarZetaAcostaandbegantocontemplatetheendoftheAmericanDream:

WeweresomewherearoundBarstowontheedgeofthedesertwhenthedrugsbegantotakehold.Iremembersayingsomethinglike“Ifeelabitlightheaded;maybeyoushoulddrive....”Andsuddenlytherewasaterribleroarallaroundusandtheskywasfullofwhatlookedlikehugebats,allswoopingandscreechinganddivingaroundthecar,whichwasgoingaboutahundredmilesanhourwiththetopdowntoLasVegas.Andavoicewasscreaming:“HolyJesus!Whatarethesegoddamnanimals?”

You,dearreader,arehalfblind.Thereisagapinyourvision.

Allowmetodemonstrate.Coveryourlefteyeandfixyourrighteyeontheleftspot.

Asyoumoveyourfaceclosertothepagetherightspotvanishesjustasitpassesacrossthepointatwhichtheopticnervejoinstheretina.

Theterm‘noman’sland’wasfirstusedinthe14thcenturyforalargewastelandoutsideLondonwheretheauthoritiesdisplayedtherottinganddismemberedcorpsesofexecutedcriminals.Noonewaswillingtoclaimownershipofthisland.

ThetermwasusedwidelyintheFirstWorldWartodescribetheterritorylyingbetweenthetrenchesofonearmyandtheother.WilfredOwen,thewarpoet,wrotehomethat‘NoMan’sLandispockmarkedlikethebodyoffoulestdiseaseanditsodouristhebreathofcancer...NoMan’sLandundersnowislikethefaceofthemoon,chaotic,crater-ridden,uninhabitable,awful,theabodeofmadness.’And,inanotherletter:‘Hideouslandscapes,vilenoises....everythingunnatural,broken,blastered;thedistortionofthedead,whoseunburiablebodiessitoutsidethedug-outsallday,allnight,themostexecrablesightsonearth.’

TheSituationistconceptofthederiveor‘drift’vacillatesbetweentheintuitiveexcitementoflosingoneselfinalandscapeandthemoreworkorientedsenseofharvestingobservationsandresults.GuyDebord’sdefinitionoftheprocesssuggeststhat‘oneormorepersonsduring a certain period drop their relations, their work and leisure activities, and alltheirotherusualmotivesformovementandaction,andletthemselvesbedrawnbytheattractionsoftheterrainandtheencounterstheyfindthere.’Thisdropintotheunknownis countered thoughby theneed to then establish ‘dominationofpsychogeographicalvariationsbytheknowledgeandcalculationoftheirpossibilities.ItisonlytowardstheendofDebord’sdiscussionofthedérivethathistrueloyaltiestotheunknownarerevealedinapassagethatalsohighlightsthedifficultyofexpressingthis:

Ourlooselifestyleandevencertainamusementsconsidereddubiousthathavealwaysbeenenjoyedamongourentourage—slippingbynightintohousesundergoingdemolition,hitchhikingnonstopandwithoutdestinationthroughParisduringatransportationstrikeinthenameofaddingtotheconfusion,wanderinginsubterraneancatacombsforbiddentothepublic,etc.—areexpressionsofamoregeneralsensibilitywhichisnodifferentfromthatofthedérive.Writtendescriptionscanbenomorethanpasswordstothisgreatgame.

Sometimesitseemslikethere’snowheresolidtoputyourfeetanymore.Hasitallgotabittoomuch?Whenyoufeelseasickwithitall,stareatablank,flatsheetofA4paperandlistentoBach.Whenthatsheetofpaperisflatyoucanmeasurethedistancebetweenthetwodiagonalcornersexactly,andevencalculatetheotherdimensions.It’sabsolute.Clearasday.Everythingisinitsplace.Butifyoucrumpleupthatsheetofpaper,maybeevenstuffitinyourmouthandhaveagoodoldchew,thosetwopointsmightberightnexttoeachother,butthedimensionsofthepaperhaven’tchanged.That’sthetopologyofnetworks.That’sthewayourworldisnow;noabsolutes.It’snotmadeupofelegantcubesandspheres,butnonlinear feedback loops, iterated functions, strangeattractors,seahorse tails, ferns uncurling, ocean gyres, hurricanes and the whorls of a plume ofcigarettesmoke.Magicandchanceeverywhereyoulook.

Oh,butitmusthavebeencomfortingwhenGodwasinhisheavenandtheuniverseallworkedsmoothlylikeaclockworkorreryandeverythinghaditsplaceandallthegreatestmindsofyourgenerationwereengagedonbreakingthingsdownintosmallerandsmallerbitstoseehowitallworked,andwhereitwasallgoing,anditwasallmarvellous,evidenceofadivineandbenevolentintelligenceatwork.YoucanhearitinBach.Youcanhearit in theGoldbergVariations.Puremathsandharmonyand just the right littlegracenotecomingatjusttherightmomenttogiveyouadeliciouslittlefrisson,andyouknow

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exactlywhentheendhascomebecauseit’sallresolvedandthemusiccomestorestjustasitshould.

Sowhen it allmakesyou feel a littlequeasy,breathedeeply, lookat thatblankwhitesheetofpaperandlistentoBach.Indulgeforamomentinnostalgiaforaworldwhereeverythingwasabouttoaddup,itwasallgoingtobefiguredoutforyou,builtsolidlyfrom the ground up. There’s that quote of Bacon, going on about absolute masteryover nature, it’s them against us but its alright chaps, we’re winning. Mechanistic,deterministic,reductionist.NotChancebutDesign.

Until those crazy Romantics started going on about transcendence and the infinite,Wordsworth dwelling in the light of setting suns, Blake cursing Newton, all thosegentlementrampingaboutintheAlpsrecitingpoetryandhavingelevatedthoughtsabouttheSublime.Itcouldonlyendintears.OrChaos.

But Newton had his moments. He found it absurd that objects seemed able tocommunicate with each other without exchanging any physical substance. He spenta great deal of time looking for this substance. What was it filling all the emptiness?Electricity?Theether?

InBLAHtheFrenchMathematicianPoincaréwasstillsearching.‘Weknowwhencecomesourbeliefintheether.Ifittakesseveralyearsforlighttoarrivetousfromaremovedstar,itisnolongeruponthestarnorisitupontheearth;itmustbesustainedsomewhere,andsupported,sotospeak,bysomematerial.’

Sometimes theharderyou look for something theharder it is to see.Like stargazing.Astarwhoselightisjustvisibletothenakedeyewillvanishwhenyoulookdirectlyatit,butgleamscoylyinthecornerofyoureyewhenyoulookaside,alwaysshyofyourdirectgaze.

Thesubtleetherwasnotdirectlyobservedbyscientists.Itwasdeducedtoexist,inventedreally,becauseitwasneededtoexplainotherobservablephenomena.

It’sthestuffbetweenthings,explainingeffectsatadistance.It’swhatthelightfromdistantstarstravelsthroughtogettous.It’swhatliesinthespacebetweennucleusandbuzzingelectron.Itwassupposedthatanetherwindpassedunhinderedthroughthestructureofthings,passingthroughmoleculesofentireplanetslikeabreezethroughaforest.Evennow,scientiststellusthatmostoftheuniverseconsistsof‘darkmatter’,asubstancewhichhasneverbeenseen,measuredorrecorded,remainingresolutelyinsubstantialandelusiveineveryrespect.DarkMatteriswedgedinthespacesbetweengalaxieslikepackingmaterialinacrate.

‘It’safairlyembarrassingsituationtoadmitthatwecan’tfind90%oftheuniverse.’–BruceMargon,ChairmanofAstronomyDept,UniversityofWashington

Everywherewelookweonlyseeourselves.Isanelectronawaveoraparticle?Neitherandboth.Ithasbecomeacommonplacetobothscientistsandartiststhatrealityisapeculiaralchemybetweenobserverandobserved.

Thesubtleetherabolishesdistanceandemptiness.Itfillsthegaps.Itliesinthespacesbetweennotesofmusicplayedhesitantly.Itiswhatweseewhenwelookupattheskytobeliftedoutofourselvesforamoment.Itsustainslightacrossthecoldvastnessesofspacetobringusthespecksoflightthattellusthatwemightnotbealone.Itislongingmadesubstance.Weneedit.

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