Passage #206: 10 July 2013
The Swing of Things
Playgrounds are full of ingenious contraptions for escaping mundanity, and their potential for subversion is perhaps at its greatest when they are least complex. The swingset, for being such a simple device - just a seating platform connected to a fixed, elevated axis by a rope or chain - creates a surprisingly multifaceted experience. Rapid shifts in perspective are accompanied by equally rapid shifts in physiological state, rushes of acceleration at the bottom of the arc alternating with moments of sublime weightlessness at the top. The motion, though repetitive, gives the user unique experiences on each pass.
If we end up repeating ourselves, you must forgive us here, for we are just getting back into the swing of things.
