PAUL ORZECH SCULPTURE STUDIO

"Imagine the possibilities"

More Thoughts From The Artist

Struggling with Time shows the preoccupation of American society with the measurements of time.
We are all but enslaved by it. Constantly looking at our watches, worrying about being late --
even if it is just for a few minutes, eternally conscious of time's passage, it is amazing at how much
we fear the loss of time.

I felt wrist watches best represented the negative role time can play in our society. A wrist watch gives the owner immediate access to a scientific measurement of the exact time -- down to the hundredth of a second.  Why is this scientific and exact measurement of time so important to so many people in our society?  I feel this emphasis on exactly measured time can cause much anxiety as we are organic creatures who respond differently to our changing environment.  We often end up denying our freeflowing organic qualities of humanity and try to replace them with rigid, artificially even measurements. 

The figure lies on the ground to give the sense of how overwhelming time can be, but no-matter how bad things seem there is always hope.  Hope and defiance of time is shown in the arms and the face.  The figure's right arm pulls persistently on the watch band wrapped around his torso, while his left arm supports the weight of his torso and head, keeping the figure from being completely dragged to the ground.  The face has a stern calm look, not one of fear or worry, showing that the struggle has yet to overwhelm him.

The lines and  flow of the watches create the continuum of time that threads through our lives, and
serves as a reminder of the restraints time can place on our lives, if we allow it.        Return