Pourquoi???

I have written about Parkour. But isn't it so disappointing that reports of this sport concentrate on young males exploring and reinterpreting the space around them?
I and a few colleagues have engaged in a debate about the relative invisibility of middle aged women's practices of exploring spatiality.

I have therefore brought to your attention (here and here.) images and commentary on the more acknowledged uses of space associated with women and girls.

What I am talking about today, is the imaginative (often practical) uses of space which are so embedded in women's everyday practices, that they have, until now, remained invisible, except to the more discerning observer. These kinds of practice I refer to as 'Pourquoi??' ('Why??') since I do recognise Pourquoi?? movements' variance from, but similarity to, the more contemporary, more well known and possibly, well, pretentious, practice of Parkour.

I have a few images of what I mean and will be bringing you further evidence in due course.

Here is a middle aged woman creatively making her way down the banister in her workspace, reinterpreting the architecture, exploring the boundaries of workspatiality:



And here we see the movements of someone leaping from the top to the bottom of a staircase:



...Swwwwwwooooooosh!!!!!




Obviously our Pourquoi?? expert here leapt so fast her movements through space were rendered invisible (just like the fairy who does the housework; invisible, but we know she has done her work.)

Some women in the Pourquoi?? movement are able to exploit their feelings of oppression in really imaginative ways:



More of this later.