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Time in Artist's Work

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Andy Warhol once wrote a poem about time. “About Time. From time to time. Do time. Time yourself. Weekends. In time. In no time. In good time. Between time. Time and again. Lifetime. Time-worn. Pass time. Mark time. Buy time. Keep time. On time. In time. Time off. Time out. Time in. Time card. Time lapse. Time zone. The beforetime. The meantime. The aftertime. The All-time.”¹ However different the actions of these phrases may imply, they are all congruent under one conceptual factor: time. The measurement of existence is based on the past, present and future. The residue of existence is art. Art is a product of time. Deliberate or not, time in artists’ work play a role in the making through process, narration, materials and motion.
Art is a process. One must move freely from idea, to research/exploration, to construct in order to become fully immersed in the act of making. Even in the construction of a piece the elements go through “a series of actions, changes and functions bringing about a result.”² This all develops over time. There are artists whose work directly comments on process and becomes part of the meaning. Sol LeWitt’s conceptual works by instruction and Chuck Close’s photogravure production exemplify process. Sol LeWitt’s drawings derive from a set of specific instructions, which are executed often by others than himself. The work changes each time it is explored depending upon the hand that is drawing. The parameters of the instructions guide the participant

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