Tim Silver Creates Work That is Not Long for This World
Susan Keefe — September 20, 2011 — Art & Design
References: thecatstreetgallery & thisiscolossal
These haunting decomposing sculptures were created and destroyed by Sydney-based artist Tim Silver. Interested in the impermanence of nature and mortality, Tim Silver painstakingly creates detailed sculptures out of weak and unstable materials. Silver then sees to their slow decline, finding beauty in all stages of destruction. With the cool eye of a documentarian, Silver documents his work as it dissolves over time.
Most artists strive for immortality in their work, hoping to create a legacy with their art. Silver's work is all about decline, shifting surfaces and erosion -- take his piece 'Rory' as an example. The piece is at once gorgeous and unsettling, after all there is nothing more disturbing than constant change. Rory was constructed using blue watercolor pigment, which Silver made himself using a recipe from the 1940s. Once the fragile statue was installed in the Car Street Gallery in Hong Kong, Silver positioned a drop of water over the eye of the Rory, which ate away at the sculpture until the piece collapsed. What is most intriguing about the process Tim Silver follows is you could visit his pieces in the gallery every day and they would never be the same as they were the day before; the perfect metaphor for life.
Most artists strive for immortality in their work, hoping to create a legacy with their art. Silver's work is all about decline, shifting surfaces and erosion -- take his piece 'Rory' as an example. The piece is at once gorgeous and unsettling, after all there is nothing more disturbing than constant change. Rory was constructed using blue watercolor pigment, which Silver made himself using a recipe from the 1940s. Once the fragile statue was installed in the Car Street Gallery in Hong Kong, Silver positioned a drop of water over the eye of the Rory, which ate away at the sculpture until the piece collapsed. What is most intriguing about the process Tim Silver follows is you could visit his pieces in the gallery every day and they would never be the same as they were the day before; the perfect metaphor for life.
Trend Themes
1. Impermanence Art - Opportunity to create new art styles based on the philosophy of impermanence and decay.
2. Documentary Art - Opportunity to create art in the style of Silver, documenting its evolution over time.
3. Sustainable Materials - Opportunity for artists to explore the use of eco-friendly and sustainable materials in their art creation, while still maintaining artistic expression.
Industry Implications
1. Art & Design - By using materials that gradually decompose over time, artists can create a whole new subset of art that reflects nature and its perpetual change.
2. Museums & Galleries - Museums and galleries can showcase impermanent art pieces in unique ways, such as live streaming feeds or periodic updates on the progress of a piece's decay.
3. Eco-friendly Products - As more artists experiment with sustainable materials, newer and eco-friendly materials can be used in the creation of various household products, creating a pathway to a greener future.
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