"The exterior spectacle helps intimate gradeur unfold" (Bachelard 1994, p.192)
Gaston Bachelard’s Poetics of Space was first published in French in 1957, but translated into English in 1964. Essential to the understanding of Bachelard’s discussion of such poetics is the framework of Phenomenology. A branch of philosophy, phenomenology as defined by Edmund Husserl, is the ‘reflective study of the essence of consciousness as experienced from the first person point of view’ (Husserl in Wikipedia 2008). In short, phenomenology is the study of phenomena or experience – and how one perceives tangible and intangible subject matter. However, one might question why such a framework is needed to comprehend discussions pertaining to ‘space’. The answer lies in the fact that Bachelard’s notion of ‘space’ is considered in contexts other than tangible physicality. Rather, the concept of ‘space’ as it applies to his arguments, should be considered in oneiric terms; that is of or pertaining to dreams. Concerned with the ‘literary’ or ‘poetic’ image, Bachelard conducts a topoanalysis on the intimacy of nests, drawers, shells, corners, miniatures, forests, the house, and (my favourite) intimate immensity. However, while some chapters consider material objects, the beauty of Bachelard’s discussions is that they transcend the object, intimate the infinite, and confer phenomenological experience.
This is a must read to anyone interested in the metaphysical implications of 'space'. For an excellent in-depth review, visit the following:
Bachelard, G 1994, The Poetics of Space, 1994 edn, Beacon Press, Boston.
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