Essay

Module 4 Commentary: Time

Time: Audio Commentary

It's true that our understandings of time (and the ways that it is represented) have been influenced by developments in scientific fields such as physics. Reflect, for example, on how perceptions of time were altered by the introduction of physicist Albert Einstein's theories of relativity (http://www.allaboutscience.org/theory-of-relativity.htm) at the start of the 20th century. Einstein's revolutionary theories--which transformed our understandings of time, space, and reality--"required abandoning the idea that there is a universal quantity called time" (Hawking 2000) and that, instead, the universe exists in a state of "timelessness" in which "the separation between past, present, and future is only an illusion, although a convincing one" (Einstein quoted in Giorbran 2007). Einstein's theories and their eventual acceptance set in motion some of the 20th century's greatest scientific and technological advances--and some of its most enduring puzzles.

In his article "Cultural Aspects of Time and Ageing," anthropologist Cecil Helman (2005) (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1369268&blobtype=pdf) identifies how time in the Western world is also perceived as "a form of currency or commodity, which can be 'spent,' 'wasted,' 'saved,' or 'given' [and that...] it can be 'free,' 'spare,' 'extra,' or 'overtime'" (p. S54). In this sense, time becomes intertwined with our notions of work, leisure, and productivity and can be a referent for a broad array of emotions as diverse and far ranging as prideful accomplishment to a shameful sense of "wasting" time. Helman also notes that in Western societies most people "live at the intersection of several different forms of cultural time" (p. S55), and he describes these forms as:

Clock time: "the 24-hour cycle...regulated by clocks"; Developmental time: "the linear model of human development...imposed on the life path of children and adolescents....that indicates the timing of children's developmental milestones"; Calendrical time: "the division of the year, based upon the natural world...into days, weeks, and months"; National time: which is "specific to an individual nation state, and includes its annual public holidays and celebrations; Religious time: which is "linked to the weekly cycles of Sabbaths and workdays as well as to the annual feasts, fasts, and festivals" associated with religious observance;

Bureaucratic time: "the time cycle of workplaces and educational institutions"; Social relationship time: "the specific events of an individual's personal social network...[such as] birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, or memorial days"; and Symbolic rebirths: these times "can occur after major points of transition or crises in the life cycle" such as major illnesses, giving birth, or divorce. (Quoted material: Helman 2005 (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1369268&blobtype=pdf) , pp. S55-56)

It is Helman's identification and descriptions of "cultural time" that bear particular significance for our considerations in this module with regard to how artists explore and represent time in contemporary art. As we proceed through our work for this module, we will find a provocative resonance with Helman's discussion of "cultural time" in the abundant and diverse array of works of art and artists that we will encounter.

Special Focus: Judith Baca

Featured Link: Judith Baca's website (http://www.judybaca.com/artist/)

It is not unusual to find that artists using their art-making skills and various organizational talents to benefit various social causes. Artist educator Judith Baca is among those who do. For more than 25 years, Baca, and the SPARC organization that she founded, have helped create murals in the Greater Los Angeles area. The murals created by SPARC address the current and past histories of the city and focus especially on giving voice to underrepresented peoples.

Perhaps the most famous of these murals is The Great Wall of Los Angeles. This mural, which was SPARC's first public work, was begun in 1974 and required five summers to complete. Baca employed more than 400 young people and adults to assist her in the creation of the 2,754 feet long mural located in the Tujunga Flood Control Channel of the San Fernando Valley. Baca's assistants came from diverse social and economic backgrounds. The Wall's original images and story depict the history of ethnic people in California from prehistoric times to the 1950s. Currently, SPARC is actively engaged in the restoration of the original mural plus the addition of a continuing narrative that addresses the area's history from the 1960s through the 1990s. The video clip (below) provides a visual tour of the Great Wall of Los Angeles mural.

The Great Wall of LA

A video tour of The Great Wall of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley created by Judith F. Baca (founder of SPARC) and

community members.

Artist Profiles: Hiroshi Sugimoto and Cornelia Parker

Following the discussion of each theme, the chapters in the Themes of Contemporary Art textbook include extended profiles of select artists whose work is discussed in the context of that particular theme. The profiles present discussion of the different ideas and approaches used by each artist. This section of each course module represents an online extension to the profiles provided in the textbook by presenting access to multimedia and external links that are relevant to each artist and which provide further illumination about his or her work.

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Sugimoto was born in Japan in 1948. He attended art school in Los Angeles, California and moved to New York in 1974. His work focuses almost exclusively on photography that "deals with history and temporal existence by investigating themes of time, empiricism, and metaphysics" (Source: Fraenkel Gallery (https://fraenkelgallery.com/artists/hiroshi-sugimoto) ). Please visit the artist's website (http://www.sugimotohiroshi.com/) to view his online portfolio and to read more about him.

Our first video is provided by the ART21 "Exclusive" that includes a brief but insightful interview with the artist in which he discusses studying western philosophy as a student.

Hiroshi Sugimoto: Becoming an Artist | Art21 "Extended Pl…

The second video is an in-depth profile of the artist in which the filmmaker follows Sugimoto for 200 days

as the artist travels the world to various locations, taking photographs that demonstrate his unending curiosity about the world. Please note, this video is sub-titled in English.

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Cornelia Parker

British artist Cornelia Parker's work is concerned with "formalising things beyond our control, containing the volatile and making it into something that is quiet and contemplative like the 'eye of the storm" (Frith Street Gallery (http://www.frithstreetgallery.com/artists/bio/cornelia_parker/) ). Discover more about Parker and her work by visiting the artist's profile (http://www.frithstreetgallery.com/artists/bio/cornelia_parker/) at the Frith Street Gallery (http://www.frithstreetgallery.com/) or watch the artist discuss ideas around her practice and the place of design and objects in her work and everyday life in the video below.

Cornelia Parker at the V&A

Cornelia Parker at the Victoria and Albert Museum:A brief introduction to the artist's work

Inside Cornelia Parker's studio

Inside Cornelia Parker's studio

Inside Cornelia Parker's Studio

Commentary Sources

1. Giorbran, G. 2007. Everything Forever: Learning to See Timelessness. Enchanted Puzzle Publishing. URL: http://everythingforever.com/buy.html (http://everythingforever.com/buy.html) . Accessed: 8 August 2016.

2. Hawking, S. 2000. "A Brief History of Relativity." Time Magazine, 3 January 2000. URL: http://www.time.com/time/time100/poc/magazine/a_brief_history_of_rela6a.html (http://www.time.com/time/time100/poc/magazine/a_brief_history_of_rela6a.html) . Accessed: 8 August 2016.

3. Helman, C. G. 2005. "Cultural Aspects of Time and Ageing." In EMBO Reports, 6 July 2005, S54- S58. URL: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1369268&blobtype=pdf (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1369268&blobtype=pdf) . Accessed: 8 August 2016.

4. Robertson, J & C. McDaniel. 2009. Themes of Contemporary Art. 2nd. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.<