an attempt to measure duration with water

 

An Attempt to Measure Duration With Water (2012) 

Installation (water , polyethylene, willow branches)

What happens when a river hides beneath a thick sheet of ice? Awareness of the passage of time is obscured.

This site-specific installation was created in the middle of the Mackenzie River.  Analogous to ancient water clocks, it utilized the river water to measure time.  From a chiseled hole, river water filled the structure: a willow tripod holding a polyethylene pouch.  The movement (clock mechanism) was simple: holes at the bottom let the water out.  The emptying of the pouch indicated a given lapse of time. However, as the water froze, the measure of time became distorted.