“Deconstructing Time: Memories,” by Acquaetta Williams
Deconstructing Time: Memories
curated by Sana Musasama
(view invitation)
March 3 – March 30, 2008 (Sun-Sat: 12-6 or by appointment)
285 East 3rd Street, New York, NY 10009, 212-674-3778
Opening reception: Saturday March 8, 6 – 9 p.m.
February 14, 2008, New York: A Gathering of the Tribes has announced “Deconstructing Time: Memories,” an exhibition of totems sculpted from remnants of childhood memories and glass by Acquaetta Williams, will open at Tribes Gallery in New York on March 3. There will be an artist reception at Tribes on Saturday March 8 from 6 – 9 p.m.
The totems of Ms. Williams Totems are sculpted from deconstructed memories of the past: a roller skate, a clarinet, a child’s wooden block, pocket watches, spinning tops, memorabilia and glass. The totems are a representation of reality that exists in our imaginary world.
The artist in her own words is “rethinking time in terms of our experience and thereby rethinking time in terms of our own self. By using straightforward images, I connect the two — then, here and now. I present the viewers with keys to unlock the unconscious mind: revealing their own personal mind-held cameras. The audience is left to identify with their own story.”
Memories are divided into what we remember and what we want to remember. We seek connection with the shuffling accuracy of the events. We reflect on our past to form an identity. By deconstructing, the timekeepers open a doorway to images that create emotional agitation and excitement – a personal and political sense of relevance. It allows us to skate way pass the corner of what is real and what is imagined or even lost.
Ms. Williams has shown series of work ranging from her interpretation of Giraffe Neck Women, Women Who Carry and Timekeepers and is known for her interpretive use of personal “travelings” gathered from her journey through life. Her work resides in private collections, the Museum of Arts & Design and in the White House permanent collection.