“word to the wise” wednesday: vicente wolf

There is something real about a house in which textures flourish.  In a world that seems to exist increasingly on screen, beyond our grasp, the house full of tactile surfaces invites our touch and grounds us.  It’s a refuge for our senses.  Even a simple, waxed pine table or a sisal carpet can refresh us when we graze it with our fingers or take off our shoes.  The skin comes alive with a little traction.  And the textures send messages; they often refer to a larger order beyond domestic space,  A wide-board softwood floor cues thoughts of lumber and forests.  We are understanding a basic, more elemental world through our fingers:  When we touch, we wonder.

— Vicente Wolf (Learning to See)