“Time, time, time, see what’s become of me, while I look around at my possibilities…..”

The idea of the “plasticity” of time as Daylight Savings Time hit this weekend began to intrigue me. We have, what has become, an arbitrary custom in our country that other countries (and not even all of our states) practice.  Time, as Einstein so famously theorized, is relative. Yet we are often ruled by it. It is a concept not new in art-making.

Inspired by DST in the monotype workshop, I first “limited time” and then “required time”, by making the exercise about using precise time (among other things)—no more or less than 20 minutes of working the entire time, then requiring an exercise of patience before printing.  This time contraint alone affected the energy, the process and the outcome, all in a positive way.

Artists have explored the concept of time in many ways—think Dali’s dripping clocks, which was entitled The Persistence of Memory   ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Persistence_of_Memory) in which he explored the relativity of space and time.

For me the most profound visual explorations of time were done by Andy Goldsworthy, the contemporary British sculptor. He used nature’s processes to beautifully illustrate the effects of time.  One of my favorites is a mud covered wall with a sculptural form built under a depth of wet mud until the surface of the wall is flat over the form.  As the mud dries, over time, it shrinks and the form is revealed. http://a398.idata.over-blog.com/352×500/3/85/55/03/land-art-so/andy-goldsworthy-2.jpg

So in honor of or in response to our time change this week, I propose we work with TIME as a concept. What are the possibilities?

Time of day-Time passing-Time as recorded or measured-Time travel-Season’s change-Age—the patina of time-Freezing of time (Photograph)-Making things takes time either limited or expanded, do either or both-The view from where you start is different than the view from where you finish –reflects time. Etc., etc.

Performance art is time-based that must experience them through the passage of time, as with music. Can that idea be incorporated?

Nature’s processes that reflect time—flowing water; drifting clouds; falling leaves, decaying organics; sprouting life.

It’s almost spring—a great time to ponder time.  Design your own exercise that in some way explores time.  It could be from setting a timer for doing multiples; to “aging” a work with glazes; to rendering biology (plants, people) in various stages of growth; to representing clocks—(deconstructing for “fractured time”). And on, and on…

Use your imagination. Come up with ideas.  Share.