TIME O.U.T.
steel, mixed media.
One of the fundamental desires as a human being is to feel safe, but part of the human experience is filled with unexpected moments. When life becomes overwhelming and painful we instinctively create defense mechanisms to protect ourselves from further pain. A specific example is to barricade one’s self externally and internally from the outside elements that seem threatening. While in some extreme cases this disconnection can destroy our own well being it can also construct a space for reflection and growth .
Time O.U.T. is an embodiment of this behavioral mechanism in a physical form. It rides the line between destructive and constructive forms of problem solving and their relationships with safety. Defense mechanisms may work against the reality of our lives, but sometimes it is just a part of the process that transports us to a place where we can go over, get under and push through life.
2015. Group exhibition: unabridged, main art gallery, university of hawaii at manoa, honolulu, hi
~120" length x 84" width x 96" height
The Process
When I first approached this piece I tried to sketch the idea out and then quickly realized that it was much easier to go straight into making models/prototypes of my idea. Having something to tinker around with helped me work out most of the design and mechanical issues. From there I could get precise measurements by scaling up the model. I chose to use steel as the primary media because it's a material I like working with. The toughest problem I had with this material was figuring out how to compensate for the weight that it added to the moving parts. I cannot say that I have achieved what I had envisioned, but with everything I've learned through this process I feel confident that the next time I can work it out.