Topology in Bed1

Regarding the Education of Love

Father’s Topology in Bed

《床上拓撲學》這書是編輯倪和孜與爸爸倪其才的共同作品。當編輯還是小學生的時候,每天放學回家都會看到爸媽床上,被摺成不同形態的棉被。到長大後回想起來覺得饒有趣味,於是請爸爸重摺這些「棉被雕塑」,並找來攝影師陳藝堂到家中拍攝,最後出版成書。直到拍攝當天,爸才婉轉承認這是向妻子求愛的暗號呢。

爸爸是個普通的上班族,沒有藝術背景。他從不覺得自己是在做一件作品,然而在重摺棉被的時候,卻在細微處有著過人的執著。編輯回想,那時候爸爸是最遲出門上班,也是最遲回家的人,所以在早上他獨在家中的短暫時光裡,原來是爸爸構想幸福、栽種期待的時刻。

回家時如若看到棉被被鋪平了,就是妻子婉拒的訊號,假若維持原狀不變,就是爸在心裡呼叫「喔耶!」的時候了(畢竟女兒還小)。當然到了後來,其實這更似是一種生活情趣,並非一定和性有關,卻一定是一種愛的表達。

棉被雕塑的始末呢,來自爸爸年輕時與朋友旅遊,一不小心住進了情色旅館,而首次見識到「棉被花」。那是一種有趣的旅館文化,服務員會把房間的棉被摺成充滿性趣的形狀,是個微妙的入住驚喜。台北萬華區便有一家民國53年開張的老旅館,裡面有位非常資深的內將(旅館的女性服務員別稱),所有房間裡的「棉被花」都由她巧手創造。

如若伴侶,不讓理所當然變成理所當然,如果老夫老妻了,還是不怠倦為彼此留一點生活情趣,這會是最實在的一種愛的教育吧。

Topology in Bed2
Topology in Bed3
Topology in Bed4

Topology in bed is a collaborative work of the editor and her father, Chi Tsai Ni. Back in the days when the editor, Son Ni, was still going to primary school, she would always find different forms of “blanket sculptures” on her parents’ bed when returning home from school every day. Only when she became adult did she realize the interesting implication behind. She then requested her father to re-create these sculptures and invited the photographer Etang Chen to their place for a shooting, and had them published in a book. The father, in fact, refused to admit them as erotic signals he left for his wife until the actual day of shooting.

The father was a typical breadwinner of the family with no particular background in art. Although he never treated his blanket sculptures work as art pieces, he showed such insistence and precision in setting them up. Tracing back from her memory, the editor remembers how her father was the last one to leave home and come back. He simply made use of his private time in the morning to create such joyful moments.

Flattening the blanket is her mother’s euphemistic way of turning down her father’s wish; when seeing his sculpture remained intact, he would discreetly cheer for himself as he could not explicitly express such yearning and joy when having a young daughter at home. The sculpture later developed into a little thing to delight everyday life; rather than necessarily being an implication of sex, it could be simply an expression of his affection for her.

The first time the father saw “blanket art” was when he traveled with his friends in his younger days and was lodged, by mistake, in a love motel. It is a unique culture of love motel to have blankets folded into a shape that carries a hint of sex to bring to the lodgers some pleasant surprises. In the motel in Wanhua District, Taipei, which was opened back in Minguo 53 (1964), a skillful and experienced female employee does all the blanket art for every room in the motel.

Taking things for granted is not the way to maintain a relationship; even if the relationship is long and stable, the father never ceases to bring to his wife some playful happiness. Perhaps this is the most vivid way of expressing love.

Topology in Bed5
w