Time

This project was completed by poet Alison Watkins and sculptor Vicky Randall who were both professors at Ringling College of Art and Design (Vicky still is). While Vicky’s stainless steel sculpture was created earlier and can be found in the Sarasota collection of public art, Alison chose it as inspiration for her poem that she wrote in July 2020.

Alison’s statement: Vicky creates large metallic figures often 15’ and taller, that are fluid, wavy, often silvery, and time and again remind me of human figures. She names all her pieces “clockwork” something, so though I have had other notions about the intent of her graceful images, I sense she thinks of these works in relation to time. For one thing, how long it takes her to make the object. But when I look at her work and imagine the figure as an image of Time itself, I realize immediately that Time has no face. Where is time’s face? Still the rest of the figure for me has undeniable intent. It is this intent that I attempt to address with these few words. 

Vicky’s statement: This piece is as appropriate for the “Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020” as it is for our “Hurricane Season.” The title “Clockwork Six Weeks in July” refers to the halting of human movement. We stop thinking in days or even weeks, time almost stands still or at least our “normal time” ceases to flow. Visually this piece captures the action of wind, an undetectable force unless it contacts another surface. The sight of wind twisting profusely can be somewhat frightening but always graceful. Clockwork: Six Weeks in July portrays strength against the forces in a soft and edifying way.