What is time? Is time a scientific phenomenon that can be universally
measured and catalogued? Or do different cultures interpret time in
their own unique ways? This two-part online exhibition explores the
concept of time in works of art dating from 900 BCE to the 20th
century. All works featured are in the Museum's collection.
Part One: World Times
Take a journey through the centuries and across the globe to learn
about Assyrian notions of eternal time, Medieval European
understandings of apocalyptic time, 19th-century American concepts of
progressive time, Indian representations of cosmic, cyclical time,
African portrayals of ancestral temporalities, the complex calendrics
of the Maya, and more.
Part Two: Conservation Time
Peer into the conservator's lab to see how works of art can change
over time, both through the artist's creative process and through the
effects of natural aging.
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I would suggest looking up the individual works of art in this on line
exhibit as some of the digital images in the presentation are not that
clear.
This is a great presentation to use with a lesson on "temporal"
qualities in art. Have students find additional examples of passage of
time - then create their own work that shows "time". If this sparks a
lesson - let me know. I would like to put it on IAD.
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I found this exhibit when I looked up information about the Hallmark
Photographs Collection that was donated to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of
Art in Kansas City, MO (another article from NY Times) "Last month the
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Mo., acquired the broadest
and most important private holding of American photography [Hallmark
Collection]."
