Clock Drawings

2009-continuing

I collect old wind-up alarm clocks. Occasionally I come across a clock that is perfectly good, but was over-wound by
the owner and then set aside. Years later I discover the clock at an antique store still in good condition and still over-wound.
What I find compelling is that the energy stored in the spring of the clock is the direct physical energy of someone who,
likely, passed away a long time ago.

What I have done is to channel some of this found energy into a drawing. For the first drawing I used a 1934 Westclox
Big Ben Chime Alarm, which I purchased at a yard sale at an old farmhouse west of Kingston, Ontario. As it was a
women’s style clock and in almost new condition, I will conjecture that it was the wife of a farmer who posited that energy
in the spring of the clock sometime in the 1930s.

To facilitate the drawing, I partially disassembled the clock and prepared a piece of paper to fit over the face. I then rocked
the movement until it began to tick, fitted the piece of paper and replaced the hands of the clock. Glued to the minute hand
was a small pencil lead. Powered by the winding motion of a woman’s hand some seventy years ago, the lead was dragged
across the surface of the paper for a period of 23.3 hours. The result is a record of that energy as it slowly dissipated.

An accompanying text panel is created for each piece.

A recent 23.3 hour drawing by someone who likely died a long time ago, 2009

graphite on paper

13x13”

Possible the last of Bill Tets, clock repairman, 2009

carbon paper drawing

10x13”

I have an old, copper alarm clock made by Veglia in Italy. While I do not know who owned the clock, I do know

who last serviced it. Written on the inside is “Bill Tets, February 15, 1939.” Typically, a clock repairman will

scratch a service date on the outside/rear of the clock, but not wanting to mar the surface of this charming old

clock, he wrote in pencil on the inside. Although clean and in otherwise good condition, the clock does not

run, so, despite Mr. Tet’s best efforts, it is probable that the clock functioned for only a short period after he

serviced it. And since a good clock repairman winds the clock before returning it to the customer, there is a

good chance that the energy stored in the alarm spring is that of Bill Tets.

I removed the clock’s movement and placed it on a piece of carbon paper. I then released the spring of the

alarm causing the hammer to rapidly hit the carbon paper. So vigorous was the hammering that the movement

dragged itself across the paper for a short distance. That energy was possibly the last of Bill Tets, clock

repairman.