The simple act of turning back time brings me so much joy, whether I spend the additional time sleeping, walking in the morning sunlight or completing another job on an eternal to-do list.
At some stage of the day people will be adjusting a timepiece. The task may involve a cursory glance at a digital wristwatch, trying to remember the complicated sequence required to make a simple alteration. Better still, it could mean revisiting a favourite work of art created for aesthetics as well as keeping track of time.
A handful of New Zealand artists have turned timekeeping into something funky, that has very little to do with the pursuit of seconds, minutes or hours. Functional form has been moulded and tinkered with until the conventional clock has a personality of its own, deserving of a position where it will be observed and appreciated.
Dunedin artist Helen Riley-Duddin made her first clock with a favourite tomato-picking bucket when she was about 11-years-old. It took pride of place in the market garden staff room for many years, reflecting Helen’s curiosity in blending creativity with function.
Her ticking interest continues and Helen recently created a limited edition of wall clocks with a small amount of leftover Ikea fabric designed by Sissi Edholm and Lisa Ullenius. Birds flitter through branches and flowers, dramatically contrasting with the black background.
In a creative corner of Glen Eden, ceramic artist Reneé Boyd has designed a gorgeous wall clock, Home, which she started making in 2008. The contemporary design is available in either crisp white or soft green and has a quirky pencil sketched window and door.
“I wanted to represent people’s favourite hangouts, hanging out at home,” Reneé says. “I liked the simple lines without too much detail — the simplicity of the door and the window to represent home.”
Clocks have been a big part of Reneé’s life for years, but she says she isn’t obsessed by time, even though she is self-employed and works hard. Often her inspiration evolves during the weekends when all of the weekday jobs are ticked off.
If being at home isn’t on the agenda then perhaps Ian Blackwell’s Holiday Time caravan clock will hold greater appeal.
The funky native rewa rewa veneer clock has a beautiful mottled red timber grain, whereas the rimu veneer version is classically Kiwi. “Caravans are really popular at the moment,” Ian says. “I think everyone’s into retro, growing up in the 1970s and escaping to the caravan.”
A welcoming open door and decorative unfurled koru panels are etched into the clock with a laser. A veneer is used to reduce the amount of timber used and to strengthen the design.
