Notes on Reciprocal Linkage
Reciprocal linkage is both a principle of relation and an organizational structure.
Reciprocal linkage is achieved by linking a set of frames in such a way that every frame passes through every other frame.
The frames are free to move within the bounds of this linkage.
In reciprocal linkage all of the frames are functionally equivalent: they are equal in size, shape, material, color, etc.
The frames are arbitrary in order, so that any frame can be substituted for any other frame.
The frames can be arranged in a potentially infinite variety of configurations. In each configuration a stasis is achieved in which the weight of the entire structure is distributed among the elements.
In all configurations the individual frames take on specific relationships to the whole, and are no longer arbitrary except in the sense that any other frame could theoretically take on the exact same relation to the whole.
A reciprocally linked structure also has a neutral position, in which the frames nest to form a symmetrical object.
Reciprocal linkage is handed. A reciprocally linked structure can be either right- or left-handed.
Reciprocal linkage forms structures based on the coincidence of elements.
Reciprocally linked objects achieve a direct continuity between internal and external relations. This is most evident when a reciprocally linked object is placed on an irregular (non-flat) topography: the reciprocally linked object responds to the topographical conditions of the site, resulting in a form that is specific to those contours. The manner of this response is analogous to the internal relationships formed within any configuration; here again the structural matrix is composed of points of coincidence.
2009