Clocks: Where Did The Time Go?

This episode of the None But Curious Podcast invites you to explore the world of clocks. Discover their symbolic presence in art and literature, their cultural importance, and their deep ties to the natural world. Together, we’ll explore how clocks influence our perception of time and what it means to be human. Key Highlights in This Episode:

Art and Clocks: Exploring Time Through Creative Expression

• Learn how clocks have been used in art to symbolize mortality, the passage of time, and the ephemeral nature of life.
  • Salvador Dali's The Persistence of Memory: Famous for its melting clocks, this surrealist masterpiece challenges rigid perceptions of time, portraying it as fluid and subjective.
  • Albrecht Durer's Melancholia I: The hourglass in this Renaissance artwork reflects humanity's intellectual struggles against the relentless march of time.
  • Christian Marclay's The Clock: A 24-hour video installation synchronized to real-time, highlighting our collective preoccupation with time and its omnipresence in daily life.
  • Alizia Quad's Against the Run: This contemporary installation reimagines clocks with irregular movements, challenging conventional notions of time and reality.

Clocks in Literature: A Timeless Metaphor

• Discover how clocks symbolize the inevitability of time and human limitations in literature.
  • F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby: A broken clock becomes a metaphor for Gatsby's futile attempt to stop time and reclaim a lost past.
  • Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart: The ticking of a clock mirrors the narrator's growing paranoia and the inescapable nature of guilt.
  • Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler’s Wife: Time becomes a central theme, reflecting the unpredictable nature of life and its profound impact on relationships.

Clocks in Music: Soundtracking the Passage of Time

• Explore how music captures the essence of time through rhythm and symbolism.
  • Pink Floyd's Time: This iconic track blends ticking clocks and introspective lyrics to reflect on the fleeting nature of life.
  • Coldplay's Clocks: A repeating piano riff evokes the relentlessness of time, paired with existential lyrics about life's fleeting moments.
  • Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird: The magical clock in this classical ballet symbolizes the tension between human control and the natural cycles of life.

Nature and Time: A Different Perspective on Clocks

• Discover Phil Abernethy’s arboreal clock, a timepiece influenced by the growth rates of ancient trees.
  • This 12-foot clock reflects natural rhythms, aligning human perception of time with the ecosystem’s cycles.
  • Abernethy’s innovative approach challenges industrialized notions of time, advocating for a harmonious connection to the environment.

Cultural and Philosophical Reflections on Clocks

• Clocks across cultures symbolize mortality, life, and the passage of time.
  • The concept of memento mori in Western traditions serves as a reminder of life’s impermanence.
  • Clocks also represent humanity’s attempts to control and measure time, often clashing with its fluid and subjective nature.

Why You Should Watch This Episode:

1. Uncover the Layers of Meaning Behind Clocks: Gain new insights into how clocks function as more than just timekeepers—they're storytellers of humanity's complex relationship with time.
2. Dive Into Art, Literature, Music, and Nature: Experience a multidisciplinary exploration of time’s impact on creativity and culture.
3. Inspire Deep Reflection: Discover how clocks can help you appreciate the fleeting beauty of the present moment and the interconnectedness of life.
4. Perfect for the Curious and Open-Minded: Whether you’re a lifelong learner, an art

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) Welcome to the None But Curious podcast.
We're all about finding inspiration in life's uncertainties.
Whether you're still figuring things out, questioning your
beliefs, or just curious about the world, come
hang out with us as we celebrate the
beauty of not having all the answers.

(00:22):
Each month, we explore the realms of art,
music, literature, and nature, uncovering the extraordinary in
the everyday.
Join us as we reveal the beauty and
inspiration surrounding us, discovering the sacredness in ordinary
moments, and deepening our appreciation for the world.
This month, we are discussing clocks.
Clocks have long fascinated artists, writers, and thinkers,

(00:43):
symbolizing our complex relationship with time and mortality.
We will delve into how clocks are used
in art, literature, music, and culture to reflect
and challenge our perceptions of time's impact on
the human experience.
In the realm of art, clocks have been
used to symbolize various themes such as mortality,
the passage of time, and the transient nature
of life.

(01:03):
One of the most famous representations is Salvador
Dali's The Persistence of Memory.
This surrealist painting features melting clocks draped over
various objects, suggesting the fluidity and unreliability of
time.
Dali's work challenges the rigid perception of time,
portraying it as a malleable and subjective experience
rather than a fixed entity.

(01:25):
Albrecht Durer's Melancholia I from 1514 is packed
with symbols that reflect Durer's thoughts on human
existence, creativity, and intellectual struggle.
Among these symbols is an hourglass, which serves
as a powerful reminder of time's inevitable passage.
Its presence in the artwork reminds us how
time is always moving forward, highlighting the fleeting
nature of human efforts.

(01:46):
Durer's use of the hourglass alongside other symbols
of knowledge and creativity, like the polyhedron, suggests
a deep reflection on the short window we
have to achieve greatness and the constant push
and pull between our ambitions and the constraints
of time.
It's a reminder that no matter how much
we strive to understand and shape our world,
we're all bound by time, making every moment

(02:07):
and achievement fleeting and precious.
Clocks also make an appearance in contemporary art,
especially in Christian Marclay's video installation The Clock
from 2010.
This piece is remarkable.
It's a 24-hour montage composed entirely of
film clips featuring clocks and watches.
What's fascinating about the clock is that it's
meticulously synchronized to real time, so it matches

(02:30):
the actual time of day as you watch
it.
The installation seamlessly blends art and everyday life
by showcasing how clocks and time pieces are
embedded in the fabric of our daily activities.
By doing this, Marclay highlights our collective obsession
with time and its constant presence in our
lives.
As you watch, you see clocks ticking away,
watches being checked, and time passing in various

(02:55):
cinematic contexts, which creates a powerful commentary on
how we're always aware of time, often to
the point of being preoccupied with it.
The work becomes a reflective piece on our
relationship with time, illustrating not just its omnipresence,
but how it shapes and influences our routines
and our perceptions.
We'll continue talking about contemporary art, and we

(03:16):
should include Alizia Quad's Against the Run from
2019.
This installation features a series of clocks that
rotate in unexpected directions and at varying speeds,
challenging our conventional understanding of time.
Quad's work plays with the physical and metaphysical
aspects of time, prompting viewers to question the
reliability of timekeeping devices and our perception of

(03:38):
reality.
The irregular motion of the clocks creates a
sense of disorientation and wonder, emphasizing the fluid
and often subjective nature of time.
It's a brilliant piece that makes us rethink
how we interact with and understand the passage
of time in our daily lives.
All right, let's move on to literature.
Clocks often symbolize the relentless passage of time
and the limitations it places on us.

(04:00):
A great example is in F.
Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
There's a scene where Gatsby accidentally knocks over
a clock while talking to Daisy.
The broken clock represents Gatsby's attempt to stop
time and turn back the clock to recapture
the past when things were perfect with Daisy.
The fact that he knocks it over highlights
his struggle and failure to reclaim those lost
moments.
It's a powerful metaphor for the novel's broader

(04:22):
theme.
Gatsby's clash with the inevitability of moving forward
in time and his idealized version of the
past.
Fitzgerald uses this imagery to show how our
desires and dreams are often at odds with
the unchangeable nature of time.
Another example is Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell
-Tale Heart.
The story features a recurring motif of the
clock, symbolizing the narrator's obsession with time and

(04:43):
guilt.
The incessant ticking of a watch echoes the
narrator's heightened senses and growing paranoia, mirroring the
relentless beating of the old man's heart.
This sound, like a clock ticking away the
moments, amplifies the tension and the narrator's descent
into madness.

(05:04):
Poe masterfully uses the clock as a metaphor
for the inevitability of time and the inescapable
nature of guilt, creating a powerful psychological thriller
that explores the dark recesses of a human
mind.
In more contemporary literature, Audrey Niffenegger's The Time
Traveler's Wife offers a fascinating look at the
concept of time.
The story revolves around Henry de Tamble, who

(05:26):
has a genetic disorder that makes him uncontrollably
jump through different periods of his life.
This unusual condition creates a narrative rich with
exploration of how time impacts relationships and personal
experiences.
As Henry travels through time, the novel dives
deep into themes like love, loss, and the
inevitable march of time.
The clock and the idea of time are
key metaphors in the book, representing the unpredictable

(05:47):
and often uncontrollable nature of life.
Through Henry's time-traveling experiences, Niffenegger shows how
time shapes and changes our lives, no matter
how hard we try to control it.
The novel beautifully captures the ups and downs
of living with time's relentless progression and highlights
how it affects our connections and moments of
change.
Music, with its inherent temporal structure, often incorporates

(06:09):
clocks and time as a central theme.
Let's dive into Pink Floyd's Time from their
iconic album, The Dark Side of the Moon,
released in 1973.
The track kicks off with a cacophony of
ticking clocks, alarm bells, and chimes.
Can you hear it in your head?
It immediately draws listeners into the concept of
time and its relentless progression.
This auditory chaos sets the tone for the

(06:30):
song, evoking the constant inescapable march of time
and the fleeting nature of life.
As the music settles into a more structured
rhythm, the lyrics come in, reflecting a deep
existential realization of how swiftly the time passes
by.
Lines like, you are young and life is
long and there is time to kill today,
transition into a more urgent reflection as the

(06:51):
song progresses, capturing the moment when one recognizes
that time is slipping away faster than anticipated.
The lyrics address the urgency to make the
most of life before it's too late, with
the haunting reminder that, one day you find,
ten years have got behind you, no one
told you when to run, you missed the
starting gun.

(07:15):
I can't help it, friends.
The song's powerful combination of sound and lyrics
paints a vivid picture of the human experience
with time, encapsulating both the complacency of youth
and the regret of missed opportunities, urging listeners
to seize the day and make every moment
count.
Another great example is Coldplay's Clocks from 2002.
The repeating piano riff sounds just like the

(07:36):
relentless ticking of a clock, creating this constant
reminder of time's unstoppable march.
It's really clever that the riff sets the
stage for the song's introspective lyrics, which convey
a sense of urgency and a struggle against
the constraints of time.
Lines like, you are, and nothing else compares,

(07:58):
show this yearning for meaning and permanence in
a world where everything is fleeting, and the
chorus, am I part of the cure or
am I part of the disease, dives into
these existential thoughts about life's transient nature and
the human condition.
The relentless ticking sound, combined with Chris Martin's
vocals, captures that moment of existential crisis we
all feel, making us think about how quickly

(08:18):
time passes and how we search for significance
in those fleeting moments.
Coldplay's Clocks resonates as a modern meditation on
time, highlighting the tension between our desires for
permanence and the inevitable flow of time.
In classical music, Igor Stravinsky's ballet, The Firebird,
offers a compelling use of clock symbolism through
the character Koschei.

(08:39):
Koschei is an immortal, malevolent figure whose life
force is tied to an egg that contains
his soul hidden within a magical clock.
This clock is not just a timekeeping device
but a vessel of immense power, symbolizing the
control over life and death.
The existence of the clock introduces themes of
destiny and the manipulation of time, suggesting that
Koschei's longevity and dominion over his fate are

(09:00):
artificially sustained.
When the hero Prince Ivan ultimately destroys the
egg, it signifies the disruption of this unnatural
control, allowing the natural order of life and
death to resume.
The clock in The Firebird thus becomes a
profound metaphor for the tension between human attempts
to dominate time and the inevitable triumph of
natural cycles and fate.

(09:20):
Stravinsky's masterful integration of this symbolism within the
ballet shows the broader narrative of the struggle,
transformation, and the restoration of balance.
Now we go into nature and came across
this really awesome article I want to share
with you.
Phil Abernethy, a master clockmaker from Vancouver Island,
is working on a remarkable timepiece that measures

(09:42):
time based on the growth of some of
the world's oldest trees.
Instead of displaying standard hours and minutes, his
clock will reflect the pace of the forest,
so when trees grow quickly, the hours will
pass faster, and when growth slows, so will
the clock.
Using traditional materials like steel and brass, Abernethy
will hand machine the gears, but the clock's
pendulum will be influenced by the growth rate

(10:04):
of bristlecone pines in Nevada's Great Basin.
This 12-foot tall arboreal clock, commissioned by
the Nevada Museum of Art, is part of
an environmental timekeeping project that shifts the focus
from human-centric time to the natural rhythms
of the ecosystem.
Abernethy's clock challenges traditional notions of timekeeping by
linking it to environmental conditions.

(10:24):
This unique approach highlights how our perception of
time often ignores the temporal experiences of other
living beings.
Designed to align our understanding of time with
the natural world, the clock encourages us to
consider all rhythms of all life forms.
The project reveals how our industrialized mastery of
time contributes to environmental disruption and advocates for

(10:45):
a perspective that respects and integrates the natural
timing of ecosystems.
Clocks and timepieces hold deep symbolic significance across
various cultures, each reflecting beliefs about time, life,
and mortality.
In Western cultures, clocks have long symbolized mortality
and the fleeting nature of existence.
This association is epitomized by the concept of

(11:05):
memento mori, which translates to remember that you
must die.
Originating in the medieval period and continuing into
the Renaissance, memento mori artworks were meant to
remind viewers of their mortality.
This is particularly evident in 17th century still
life paintings, where clocks and hourglasses are often
depicted alongside symbols of decay, such as rotting

(11:25):
fruit and skulls.
These elements collectively serve to highlight the transient
nature of life and prompt reflection on the
inevitability of death.
And yes, I have been saying inevitability a
lot because time passing is inevitable.
There's no better word to say than inevitable.
So if there's nothing else you get from

(11:45):
this podcast, it is inevitable.
In contrast, Chinese culture views clocks through a
different lens.
Presenting a clock as a gift is considered
unlucky due to the phonetic similarity between the
phrase for giving a clock, Song Zhong, and
attending a funeral, Song Zhong.
This resemblance renders clocks an inappropriate gift, especially

(12:08):
for the elderly as they symbolize mortality and
the passage of time.
Japanese culture offers yet another perspective.
The concept of mono no aware, which translates
to the pathos of things, among others, emphasizes
the ephemeral beauty of life.
Prominent during the this idea, explored by scholar
Motori Nuranaga, reflects a deep appreciation for the

(12:31):
transient nature of existence.
This sentiment contrasts with the Western duality of
good versus evil, highlighting a more contemplative approach
to life's impermanence.
Muslim scholars and inventors also made significant contributions
to the evolution of timekeeping.
From the 9th century onwards, advancements included improved
water clocks, as detailed by Al-Jahiz, and

(12:52):
intricate mechanical devices by Al-Jazari, such as
the castle clock with its elaborate routines.
The 13th-century Umayyad clock in Damascus and
the Al-Qurawiyan clock in Morocco showcased innovative
mechanisms for marking time.
Taqi al-Din's 16th-century astronomical clock and
al-Muradi's sophisticated water clocks exemplified the blend

(13:13):
of art, science, and engineering, laying the groundwork
for modern timekeeping technologies.
By exploring these diverse cultural perspectives, we gain
a richer understanding of how timepieces are not
merely tools for measuring time, but symbols reflecting
each society's philosophical and existential beliefs.
Clocks in art, literature, music, and nature, and
various cultures, reveal humanity's deep connection with time.

(13:36):
They symbolize life's fleeting quality, the certainty of
change, and the interconnectedness of all things.
And as we move through life, clocks act
as reliable guides, helping us navigate its rhythms,
and encouraging us to think about the nature
of time.
Whether as practical tools or symbols of deeper
meaning, clocks continue to inspire and provoke thought,
highlighting the delicate balance between the temporary and

(13:57):
the timeless.
And as we close today, I implore you
to think about and reflect on what time
means to you.
Do you put too many things on your
schedule?
Do you not make good use of your
time?
Do you wish you had more time?
You can let us know in our None
But Curious Facebook group.

(14:18):
Please also subscribe and review this podcast so
that others like you can find us.
And until next time, continue finding magic in
the mundane.