The lobby of UNC Charlotte’s Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts will be the new home for a remarkable 20-foot wooden clock sculpture “Time and Space” to be installed by the artist James Borden on Wednesday and Thursday, April 19 and 20.
“Time and Space” is on long-term loan to the College of Arts + Architecture from the Hickory Museum of Art. Its installation in Robinson Hall is possible by a gift to the college from Wilton and Catherine Connor, who originally commissioned the sculpture.
Borden, who lives and works in Sibley, Iowa, designs and builds wooden kinetic sculptures called “Timeshapes.” His “Timeshapes” are mechanical weight-driven or spring-driven clocks.
“I strive to create a balanced, lively form to highlight shapes inherent in the wood itself and to make the whole piece come alive with graceful, whimsical motion,” Borden wrote in an artist’s statement. He is the recipient of numerous honors, including Gold and Silver awards at the Smithsonian Craft Show in 2013 and 2014.
“I’ve worked with the Hickory Museum of Art and the Connors to locate the clock where it would contribute to the sense of imagination, wonder, time and rhythm and beauty that are inherent in the works presented in the Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts,” said Ken Lambla, dean of the College of Arts + Architecture. “The clock is beautifully made and causes us to pause for a moment to think about how it might be made and how it helps connect us to concepts of time in our lives."