I’ve been thinking a lot about beds. In The Decision Between Us, John Paul Ricco discusses a note taken by Freud shortly before his death “psyche is extended – knows nothing of it”. Ricco ties this to the idea of a physicalized Psyche, laying in a semi conscious state, and viewed from beyond their slumber by an audience that is aware of Psyche without them being aware of themselves.
In playing with a mattress, I also was thinking about the idea of mattresses (when not in rooms, or even in rooms but naked) as symbols of transience. There’s a slight repulsion to the old dirty mattress on its own. The bed is seen as a safe space and a vulnerable mattress on its own (which usually occurs when one is moving or throwing it out) feels disturbing or unsightly. And so, I’ve been grappling with this idea of mattresses vs beds, safety vs instability. Does the foam look at its denuded skin in repulsion and fear, or does it look at the skin dressed up in sheets with a desire to be in and of itself?
