I am inspired by moments in which a seemingly mundane street scene is interrupted in an unexpected way, and disparate geometries collide, creating tension. These are what I call syncopated moments. They happen when one intent collides with another intent or parameter, resulting in a manifestation of compromise.
Philosophically, I think of these moments as bumps in a smooth space, with a nod to Deleuze and Guattari. Smooth space is the space of the idea, while bumps may occur when the idea comes into contact with parameters: forces acting on or defining a conceptual space. I am interested in this bumpiness, as a container of evidence—evidence of parameters, and of the idea.
Any reasonably dense urban area is filled with syncopated moments, if you only look carefully. From a highway overpass, to a construction scaffold, to a drainpipe, their scale is of little importance. It is the way these moments appear in context that makes them syncopated. They are what makes life in urban areas enjoyable and interesting.