We are time's subjects, and time bids be gone

We are time's subjects, and time bids be gone

Time as an Element

Brainstorming

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My first thoughts went to Doctor Who's Gallifreyan circle art-writing. The theme of that television show is basically time, and the circle art is beautiful. I also considered the clock reoccurring in the television show Hannibal, and the concept of emptiness. My mind also went to the play I was in, Rimers of Eldritch, which has several time themes throughout it. But I've also been wanting to do body art. While I'm very experienced in face paint, I haven't yet dabbled in more complicated art forms on skin. But body art has a certain charm to it; the movement and dynamic of a human canvas is beautiful. Denise was very accommodating as my model for this project.

Experimentation

I have many ideas of how the concept of time may be conveyed. I took three different days, about three hours each, and painted. Time occurs to me as something involving feathers, wings. Time is fleeting and light and, well, it just comes across as a feather to me. I looked to tattoo art for inspiration. For the third painting, I got tired of the mundane, cluttered background of my dining room and placed Denise in front of a painting on the wall. I quite liked that result.

Denise decided it was her turn to hold the paintbrush.

Arrangement

I went to OfficeMax and printed six of the photos I took. After realizing that my initial plan of displaying the art on a tri-fold poster board would look too much like a project, rather than art, I grabbed string and hung it from the ceiling. Thanks to Robbie for doing that for me- I was too short. This arrangement didn't work because the cluttered background once again took away from the art. Setting a roll of black paper didn't align properly, but hanging the paper from the wooden dowel as well worked. 

Presentation

Worked again with my photography skills for this blog post. Taking away the clips helped a lot with the presentation. I liked the effect of the string, tying together the variations of the theme. Risk-wise, there was the new element of acrylic on a human canvas. Denise was also new to the modeling job. It was a fairly big project. But the technique wasn't difficult- I'm familiar and talented with acrylics. Of the "five characteristics of great art" (technique, concept, emotion, new, medium) I've pretty much got 'em all. As I've said above, the medium was new and the concept and themes were original, and my technique is fairly good.

The title comes from Shakespeare's Henry IV and, well. As he prepares to lead a rebellion against King Henry, Hastings remarks that the rebellion is "time's [subject]." In order for the rebels to be successful, they must act quickly and waste no time. The phrase also references the other characters helpless against the passage of time: Henry, on his death bed for the majority of the play; Falstaff, full of youthful zest and yet old and falling apart on the outside. Time is fleeting. Blink and you'll miss the chance of a lifetime. Blink and you'll miss the beauty of life. Blink and you'll miss the shy smile of someone who could have been your best friend. Time is beautiful in it's limiting way, painful and constricting and, at the same time, willing and free. 

I enjoy period films and I often wish I could have a chance to enjoy time as they do. They take turns around the gardens, compose thought-out letters, take a day's ride in the carriage...Take four hours to walk to their friend's house...In today's society, things are so pressure-filled and stressful and time time time  mustn't be late for this mustn't waste time life is short cram cram cram. Fill as many AP classes as one can handle into one's schedule. Add voice lessons, guitar lessons, karate, baseball, art class. People in this era can't slow down to think. If we live longer now, why can we not take time slower, if those in period films- with short life expectancy- can afford leisure?

Time is full of contradictions and overlapping themes. Perhaps its best for one to interpret what they will from my art, rather than listen to me ramble and rant, as I could, for paragraphs upon paragraphs.

November 16, 2013