Punctum

House Clearance, 9 Meadow Road, 1999

'This second element which will disturb the studium I shall therefore call the punctum; for punctum is also: sting, speck, cut, little hole - and also a cast of the dice. A photograph's punctum is the accident which pricks me (but also bruises me, is poignant to me).'

Roland Barthes, 1981, Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, p27

Studium

House Clearance, 9 Meadow Road, 1999

'To recognize the studium is inevitably to encounter the photographer's intentions, to enter into harmony with them, to approve or disapprove of them, but always to understand them, to argue them within myself, for culture (from which the studium derives) is a contract between creators and consumers'

Roland Barthes, 1981, Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, pp27-8

Some Notes On Slacking (Or Suspending Disbelief While Maintaining One's Balance)

Couture:
Dress appropriately. There are three acceptable options:
1. wear black (it flatters and flattens the figure, and gives you a certain and elegant gravitas)
2. wear colours that complement the particular slack-line you're walking on (yellow and black if you're on the Gibbon Jibline, green or red when walking the Heinz Zak Mountain Equipment Chill line)
3. wear camouflage (so you're not spotted).

Etiquette:
1. maintain a sombre disposition (especially when slacking in the local cemetery)
2. when confronted by officials - be they council workers or park-rangers - emphasise your middle-class credentials (extensive vocabulary and clearly-articulated vowels). That way, the intellectual and spiritual element of your pursuit will be recognised, revered and condoned. (One way to ensure community goodwill is to pretend that you're training in aid of some charity event - one that supports those less able and balanced than you)
3. if slacking with another, don't hog the line (remember, the better you get the longer it takes for you to fall off). Set an egg-timer for ten minutes and remove yourself from the line immediately once the alarm rings.

Concentration:
1. Never look at the line; find a focal point that is equivalent to your eye-level and fix an unwavering gaze on it
2. When people approach you, twist 180 degrees on the balls of your feet, and turn your back on them
3. Clear your mind of all that distracts you; a mantra can be useful. Quite often, though, you'll find yourself bouncing to a tune. My current favourite is 'Like A Rolling Stone'.

FAQ:
1. 'Are you training for the Olympics?'
2. 'Are you planning to run away with the circus?'
3. 'What do you think you're doing?'

Things To Anticipate (and ignore):
1. People staring (and occasionally clapping)
2. People making strange, loud noises such as 'boo'
3. People pestering you to let them have a go
4. People asking 'what do you think you're doing?'

Suture

'So,' she said with a sway, as she surfed the Zak-line. 'I was right, can't you see, when it came to eBay? Just auction your stuff, and all will be fine. Abandon materialism; just live for the day.'

'But, don't you regret that you're selling your past?' He was drinking again; he'd forsaken his fast. He'd forsaken the regime that ensured he stayed stable. He was downing the vino and feeling less than able; to maintain his equilibrium in meetings and crits. If he were honest, he'd admit he was losing his grip.

'Losing my past, well there's certainly something to ponder. But my family history's so dysfunctional that I'm tempted to wonder. To wonder if I need to dwell on what's done. In terms of our surname, I am now the only one.  My father is gone, and so is my brother. My mother remarried; swapped our last name for another. So I'm thinking of choosing a name of my own. A name that I like; one that has a nice tone. A name that reflects what's essential to me. You can do it by deed-pole, for a nominal fee.'

'Yes, you can change it by deed-pole, I've seen the brochure.  But, listen, if you don't have a past, can you hope for a future?'

'Yes, you can if you take on the notion of suture. A psychoanalytical term, but it seems to make sense, whether you're inhabiting the past, present or future tense. Suture's about failing to notice the 'seams' that stitch together one's belief in certain realities and dreams. I guess you could call it a suspension of disbelief. Now, if you steal someone's name, are you considered a thief?'

He was no longer listening; was uncorking some wine. As for her, she had just stepped off the Jibline. And, quick as a flash, she jumped onto the Chill. As with suture, maintaining one's balance on a slack-line was a matter of will. For a second she wobbled, and looked ready to fall, but she lifted her arms and suddenly stood tall. The tension was perfect; the line was quite still. Like eBay, this slacking was proving a thrill.

Somewhere Between Tress' Fish Tank Sonata and Sekula's Fish Story Lie A Few Fish Tales.

'Her tender feet felt as if cut with sharp knives, but she cared not for it; a sharper pang had pierced through her heart.'

From: Hans Christian Andersen, 1836, The Little Mermaid

Another Fish Out Of Water

Poisson D'Avril - Two Good Kisses