Tic, Tic, Tic...Tock
York Quay Centre
Toronto, ON
“A clock with time removed is simply a box that ticks.”
k. nicol (Ken) artist and alumni of the Craft Studio at Harbourfront Centre presents a solo exhibition of mono-fields where particular objects are used to define space. He creates mini-macro expanses using micro elements. k. nicol’s company name is metal slug. That rather suits him — a slow moving creature. By deliberate choice, his process is methodical, labour intensive and time-consuming. This way of working is integral to his practice.
It may seem absurd to discover k. nicol collects clocks — instruments that measure and indicate time. His abiding fascination with clocks has less to do with the concept of time and more to do with the ticking. Entering his studio space you are met by the constant tick, tick, tick...tock of over one-hundred clocks. You are conscious of the sound of ticking and less about being on time.
In nicol’s own words, “A clock with time removed is simply a box that ticks.”
It’s an interesting juxtaposition to contemplate, an artist literally surrounded by the mechanisms of time, exploiting all that that stands for in our current society. In our sped-up, über-technology driven world time is important to nicol’s work, but time is never of the essence.
Born and raised in small town Ontario k. nicol studied at several institutions before giving up on any kind of diploma. He currently works in his Toronto studio surrounded by old typewriters, clocks and broken things. -- Melanie Egan