These stunning pictures show a “garden” of more than 1000 donated clocks created by an artist to showcase the influence time has on our lives.
Ahead of the clocks going back this weekend, Luke Jerram has unveiled his impressive installation of time-pieces of all ages and sizes at a museum.
He has titled the work Harrison’s Garden after John Harrison, an 18th Century clock designer who solved the problem of determining longitude at sea.
All the clocks have been donated by members of the public with the garden now in situ at the Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Honiton, Devon as part of the annual Museum at Night celebrations.
The museum won a public vote to show case Luke’s work which will be open to the public later this month.
He said “The thing about the nature of time and surrounded by clocks which seem to dictate every action.
“We wake up when the clocks tell us too, we eat, work, sleep according to clocks and time.
“We are just surrounded by clocks so I had the idea about a year ago to create a garden with 1000 of them.”
Almost all the clocks were donated by the public with a few bought from charity shops.
Luke said all the clocks had individual stories. A few were hand carriage clocks given to someone in retirement, others were anniversary clocks while others were picked up on travels or cherished by children.
He said: “This is something I have wanted to do for a while and I am hoping this project will eventually tour with the public donating more clocks.
“I want to tour it around the country and would like to get the collection up to 10,000.”
“They are all randomly timed and ironically if you were in there you would have no idea what time it is despite having 1000 clocks at your disposal.
“We have got one that gives a call to prayer at 3am and there is a Russian one used for chess matches.
“There is a Miss Piggy clock to ones from the war. It really is bizarre. Some are 2cm and they go all the way up to huge grandfather clocks.
“My personal favourite is a clock that goes off on the hour with a different picture and sounds of a bird.
“People were very generous and I am pleased and proud about it and it has the potential to grow and grow.
“It is about encouraging people to think about the notion of time.
“Most are working clocks, some need winding up lots with bells and others are hundreds of years old.”
The celebrated artist is known worldwide for his large scale public live art installations.
Most recently “Park and Slide” saw a giant slide being installed on Bristol’s Park Street whilst his celebrated street piano installation Play Me, I’m Yours, has been presented in 46 cities all over the world.
The clock exhibition will be open to the public between October, 30 and November 3.
