Welcome to Time Sculptures!

 

I have always been fascinated with the history of timekeeping. The instruments themselves – from ancient sundials to modern atomic clocks – but also the concepts and attitudes we hold about time. These days, most of us have a set schedule and feel the need to be continuously aware of the exact hour. If we are constantly surrounded by watches and clocks, however, I feel that it can become difficult to relax. Therefore, I was motivated to create timepieces that give the required information, but that do not bear the presence of a clock. They are there for you when you need to know the time. Otherwise, I see them as kinetic sculptures that can simply enrich your life.

 

My desire is to make functional objects with an objective use, but my designs could never become mass market products. To get a product into the global market, it must be made in huge quantities to secure the lowest production cost, so that it can be sold at the best possible retail price. This is why most products are designed by a committee, guided by consultants with vast market research. The result is the most pleasantly generic, non-offensive, safe design. A product that appears to be a bit too niche, abstract, or even confusing to some, would have too much risk to finance for the mass market. However, there is an eager audience for such eclectic things. Product-on-demand is the only solution for people to have the opportunity to access what they cannot find in shops to satisfy their appetite.

 

I believe there is a growing audience for this sort of thing. The simple idea that motivates me is that throughout the world there are collectors, connoisseurs, and enthusiasts, who would be passionate about the things I make, because they can see and respect my passion. If something comes out of my head that surprises me, others may share the same surprise as well. Though I may have never met the person who feels this about my work, I see this as a form of communication between us. A connection. While people like this may be few and far between, it is now possible to find this community through the power of the internet. 

 

In this age of AI, a new appreciation is already growing for the human creator. AI has already taken away many creative jobs. Yet, Dealing with the designer directly, made with his/her hands exclusively for you, is greatly respected. This attitude is something that should be encouraged and I hope to help cultivate with the Time Sculptures project.

– Ross McBride