Time Based Art

Looking at the definition of time based art, most sources say it is computer/video associated. I disagree with this term, I think that there are other types of art, such as photography, that have nothing to doing with computers, but are time based. Also, time is such a broad base for any artwork, I can't think of any art that doesn't include it in some way. Whether it is a main variable in the work or not, time is a constant existence in our world, so it is part of everything. So in a sense, what isn't time based art? That said we had a look in our lecture at artists who use time as a major factor in their work. One that I found slightly disturbing, but very interesting was Tony Oursler. His work involves projecting human faces onto inanimate objects, mainly puppets.

I am working on the Doll's project at the moment, dealing with the purpose and function of dolls and trying to turn their inanimate limbs into useful tools assisting humans everyday actions. Succeeding in this would be sort of giving them life. This is along the lines of Tony Oursler's work. I think the main reason why I am fascinated with giving life to an inanimate object is because it pushes the boundaries of what we expect and know as being real. If an artist were to change the shape of something like furniture, it would simply be considered a great design, but because we are dealing with the subject of applying life where there is none, it is disturbing because it doesn't look like it should exist. Dealing artistically with the subject of life is an abused issue. Many artists try to deal with this subject, perhaps because the creation of our minds and conscience is still very unknown. So Tony Oursler is really dealing with the issue of the unknown and why we react (usually) negatively to a similar state of being that we do not recognize. This is supported by Dr. Gunther von Hagen's work with manipulating our bodies. The work is human, yet disturbing because it triggers the thought of pain and discomfort in my mind.