39 Minutes
water, jar, video on ipad, maths equations
9 minutes 17 seconds
Video work: (displayed vertically)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlVgf9PbkD8&feature=youtu.be
39 Minutes stemmed from my exploration and desires to create a body clock in which the measurements of time is determined by the natural way my body experiences time and not in the way we adapted and learnt to operate under the system of ‘hours, minutes and seconds.’ I remembered how the measurement of ‘foot’ came about because it was convenient for people to measure with their bodies. Yet nowadays we have technology to speed up these natural processes to confine to our constructs of productivity which is measured with minutes and seconds. I thought of how long it takes for my hair to dry and how reliant I am on the hairdryer, so I decided to time how long it would take to dry naturally – 3 hours and 14 minutes.
Initially, I wanted to create a new system where 1 hair (or pronounced air like how the h is silent in hour) is equivalent to 3 hours and 14 minutes. Then, I thought draining water our of my hair could speed up this process of drying and change the definition of 1 hair. That’s how I got to draining and squeezing water out of my hair and deciding to keep the water in a jar. It was delightful to squeeze time out of myself. In the end, it took 2 hours and 26 minutes for my hair to dry after squeezing. With some calculations I realised I had saved 39 minutes which is now tangible, usable and statically captured in a jar. Each drop (or mL per systematic calculations) is equivalent to 37.74 seconds saved, so my productivity was increased at a rate of 37.74 seconds per mL.
I find it peculiar to keep this clock or a jar of water now on my desk, as a potential 39 minutes that I can pour, drink, splash, sip onto any deadlines that I still have to chase.
[18.11.20]