“The union of altitude and solitude fills me with an arrogant sense of ownership. After all, the sky is my domain.”

-Philippe Petit, French high-wire artist, born 1949.

The above quote is from Philippe Petit, discussing the feeling he got before walking a tightrope between the Twin Towers in 1974. It’s part of a longer thought, which follows:

The city has vanished, the world is no longer in motion, humanity has ceased to exist. There is no notion of “around,” no “over there,” certainly no “below.” The union of altitude and solitude fills me with an arrogant sense of ownership. Alter all, the sky is my domain.

The quote is interesting because Petit speaks of leaving the surface world behind as he climbs up the tower. As a high-wire artist, Petit’s world was up in the sky, and his feelings after reaching the tower summit reflects the human need for verticality. He claims ownership of the sky because he felt so much solitude up there. He had left humanity behind and was alone that high up above the city. He had achieved verticality.


Quote taken from Petit, Philippe. To Reach the Clouds: My High-wire Walk Between the Twin Towers. London: Faber and Faber, 2002.