Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Sweet 16"


Moment I disassemble that frame in short order (we're out to dinner in an hour, but that's enough time for a spell in the workshop no, rancheros?) the outline looks decidedly good in a way the larger compartment didn't.

When the printing press was invented in Germany and books published for the first time, Gutenberg had to choose the dimensions for the text and margins. He reverted to a 'golden mean' or perfect rectangle that dated to the ancient Greeks and was pleasing to the eye. It has largely been use ever since, like the QWERTY keyboard, because it simply feels good.

And the labours of my second day are wondrous to behold.

I discover too that you can get even smaller than this sixteen-inch (actually 400mm) box so long as you are prepared to stand in it diagonally, so that it flies like a diamond instead of a square. There's a photo down there to show you how, and it may yet be the means we all fly when the GPS is doing the work for us.

Nonetheless I was born a pilot, and I need those joy-sticks to either hand and that is best served with a square 'flight-deck'. As it is, I'm likely to have to twist somewhat to squeeze those hips into that frame, but then I've lots of practise at that, what with those ten-year old dinner-jacket and trousers.

I've suffered for my art... and now it's your turn.