Maarten Baas' Just About Now Encourages Time to Be More Abstract
Meghan Young — June 13, 2012 — Art & Design
References: maartenbaas & fastcodesign
Ever since he was studying away in design school, Dutch designer Maarten Baas has played with the concept of time; up until the Just About Now clock, his creations have been artistic concepts and prototypes. Endeavoring to reinvent the familiar twenty-four hour clock in a radical way, he teamed up with Dutch/English manufacturers Laikingland.
The Just About Now clock is comprised of a unique hourglass creation that is attached to a brass gong. When the sand has filled the cup, which approximately takes an hour, the gong sounds off via a mechanized mallet. Recently unveiled at Salone del Mobile, Baas writes, “The exact time is often irrelevant. A coffee break, a meditation, a nap, a business meeting, they could take a few minutes longer or shorter than an exact amount of time.”
The Just About Now clock is comprised of a unique hourglass creation that is attached to a brass gong. When the sand has filled the cup, which approximately takes an hour, the gong sounds off via a mechanized mallet. Recently unveiled at Salone del Mobile, Baas writes, “The exact time is often irrelevant. A coffee break, a meditation, a nap, a business meeting, they could take a few minutes longer or shorter than an exact amount of time.”
Trend Themes
1. Time Abstraction - Exploring new ways to perceive and measure time, such as using hourglass-inspired clocks, opens up opportunities for designing unique timepieces and time management tools.
2. Artistic Timekeeping - Blending art and function in clock design, like the Just About Now clock, creates opportunities for artistic expression and customization in timepieces.
3. Nonlinear Time Experience - Challenging the rigid structure of traditional clocks and embracing the relative nature of time allows for innovative approaches to scheduling, productivity, and personal time management.
Industry Implications
1. Clock Manufacturing - Manufacturing companies can explore the production of hourglass-inspired clocks and other unconventional timekeeping devices.
2. Art and Design - Artists and designers can incorporate time abstraction concepts into their creations, blurring the line between functional objects and artistic expression.
3. Productivity and Time Management - Developing tools and techniques for nonlinear time experience can disrupt the productivity and time management industry, offering alternative approaches to scheduling and work-life balance.
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