Scale of time
Ed got a big clock. Notice, like the Customs House Tower, the hands are hard to read in low light. A problem with big clocks, evidently.
I remember reading an article a long time ago in
Domus about the personalization of time and space. The philosopher-designer-writer pointed out that the invention of the watch constituted a revolution in perception. With a watch, people could take time with them rather than rely on a central, community clock (tower). As the true time of day was atomized into individual watches, with some running fast and others slow, reality shifted from absolute to relative. This same relativizing effect of gadgetry continued with the invention of recorded sound, most pointedly in recorded music. Just as the wristwatch allowed people to take time with them, the Walkman obliterated the aura of music. Music before recording technology existed only in its performance and so required many people to gather in one place, with preparation. It's a phenomenal idea, imagining music as
only a communal experience. Think about that the next time you put on headphones.
So now, Ed, I expect you to buy a huge walkman to go along with your huge clock.
* Ray, 9/02/2003 01:14:57 PM
