James Thurman
Four Dimensional ObjectsAll objects are inherently four dimensional; everything contains an element of time and history as part of its existence. I am interested in objects that emphasize time as as a primary component, either in their physicality or through the conceptual dialogue with its audience. Travel obviously implies the consideration of time due to change of location.
The physicality of time: Trees serve as an excellent example of how a great span of time can be seen simultaneously. Every trunk and branch holds evidence of how the tree has moved and grown through time; wounds, scars, stumps, changes in direction. The cross-section shows its yearly growth rings; the very grain pattern of all wood is the visual manifestation of years of history. Cross-sections are often visual embodiments of different magnitudes of time: geological strata of bedrock or earth, archaeological examinations of ruins.
The revealed layers of these objects also serve as a reflexive metaphor of their own condition as art objects. Just as a successful work of art contains numerous layers of meaning for the audience to explore, these objects both literally and conceptually contain those layers. Every single piece of paper that comprises these objects originally served as a means of storing and communicating information through what was printed on itsn surface. In the same way that a map is an abstraction of the reality it represents, these art objects are an abstraction of the original intent of its composite materials. By rendering literal reading of the maps impossible, the viewer is forced into the aesthetic mode of reading the entire object. This tension and interplay of modes of reading highlights the standard response to works of art, as the viewer seeks meaning and understanding. Throughout the time of interaction, the viewer is empowered to bring their own perspective to and from the work.