Subject to Time

No matter which medium he works in, Darren Almond’s primary material — and subject — is time. The first work encountered in the exhibition is Perfect Time 8 x 7 (left), a display of fifty-six electronic flip clocks synced to advance together once every minute. Because its numerals are mismatched, the artwork can’t be used to tell the time of day. By visually and sonically ticking off the minutes, however, it provides a continual reminder of time’s passage.

©Darren Almond, Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery

Three paintings follow a similar format, with multiple panels of bisected numerals arranged in grids, their positions determined by chance. The largest of these paintings, Chance Encounter 100, consists of forty-two acrylic-on-linen panels. Rendered in precisely applied layers, these paintings are a recent addition to Almond’s practice.

©Darren Almond, Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery

The exhibition also includes a photograph (seen above) from the artist’s ongoing Fullmoon series, which, like his sculptures, renders time visible. Made with an extremely long exposure, Fullmoon@Islay captures a Scottish seascape lit only by the moon, delivering a clarity of vision surpassing that of the naked eye.