THE WIDE-OPEN SPACES OF MIDTOWN MANHATTAN :: neon

This morning I woke up with a fever and realized that my will to survive is compromised by the unaesthetical circumstances (“the mess”) in our apartment. So my boyfriend and I embarked on a 3-hr cleanup. The mess suppresses in me the natural euphoria that I otherwise experience daily, and when this joy of life leaves, my immune system collapses. My pursuit of an aesthetically-pleasing environment is somewhat compulsive: it is a desire to see large surfaces unpolluted by any objects smaller than a table or a chair. That’s how a I grew up: my mother kept all small objects stashed away, and the environment was mostly minimalist - clean lines of the walls, windows and large pieces of furniture. See below the result of our work today: AIR. I must have a lot of air around me to be productive. We live in lofts with high ceilings and oversized windows. Small rooms provoke anxiety in me. Small objects on the walls and on top of furniture break and dwindle my space. Curtains or shades on the windows infringe on the architectural lines. I don’t mind dust. It’s everything that is smaller than me and larger than dust, that bothers me. Mirrors help a lot: my gaze can travel beyond the walls. Transparent objects are very helpful: all our dishes and cups are transparent, our dinner table is a glass Le Corbusier conference table; all chairs are custom-designed of Murano glass and steel. I would love to have a glass bed with transparent sheets, but since this is not available, all-black is the only option that works for me. I am happy with my spatial idiosyncrasy - the greatest thing about it is that it is possible to accomodate it. This morning I felt tremendous relief as I was able to gaze from the depth of our loft toward the window and see nothing but floor, glass and mirror. The view outside - the across-the-street building’s facade and the Empire State Bldng rising next - pleased my eye with its grand-scale architectural lines. The sidewalk below was awash in sun, fully compliant with the heart-warming metropolitan geometry!