Juhani Pallasmaa

TWELVE THEMES

IN MY WORK

- interplay of thought and form

”How would the painter

or poet express anything

other than his encounter

with the world.”

Maurice Merleau-Ponty

”Working in philosophy –

like work in architecture in

many respects – is really

more a working on

oneself. On one’s own

interpretation. On one’s

way of seeing things […].”

Ludwig Wittgenstein

A man sets himself the task of portraying the world.

Over the years he fills a given surface with images of

provinces and kingdoms, mountains, bays, ships, islands,

fish, rooms, instruments, heavenly bodies, horses, and

people. Shortely before he dies he discovers that this

patient labyrinth of lines is a drawing of his own face.

_ E P I L O G U E F R O M

T H E M A K E R

1 continuous line

2 penetration

3 circle, arc

4 joint

5 touch

6 matter, colour

7 scale

8 light

9 landscape

10 stairway

11 column

12 time

1

continuous line

2

perforation,

penetration

3

circle, arc

4

joint

5

touch

6

matter, colour

7

scale

8

light

9

landscape

10

stairway

11

column

12

time

epilogue

”What is necessary, after

all, is only this: solitude,

vast inner solitude.”

Rainer Maria Rilke

”Why do you want to shut

out of your life any

uneasiness, any misery,

any depression, since

after all you don’t know

what work these

conditions are doing inside

you?”

Rainer Maria Rilke