Large Kinetic Clock Sculpture Installed in Robinson Hall

James Borden’s Time and Space: A Hickory Museum of Art Loan

The lobby of UNC Charlotte’s Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts is the new home for a remarkable 20-foot wooden clock sculpture, Time and Space, installed by the artist James Borden on April 19 and 20. Time and Space is on long-term loan to the College of Arts + Architecture from the Hickory Museum of Art. Its installation in Robinson Hall is made possible by a gift to the College from Wilton and Catherine Connor, who originally purchased the sculpture.

The Connors purchased Time and Space at the American Craft Council exhibit in Charlotte in 1998 for the lobby of the new World Headquarters for Wilton Connor Packaging (WCP). They sold WCP to Weyerhaeuser in 2001. Weyerhaeuser was later purchased by International Paper, which donated the clock to the Hickory Museum of Art.

“International Paper was pleased to donate the clock to the Hickory Museum of Art, and we are happy that it has an appropriate site to be displayed for the enjoyment of the public,” said Pete Miller, general Manager of International Paper Charlotte.

James Borden lives and works in Sibley, Iowa, where he designs and builds wooden kinetic sculptures called “Timeshapes.” His “Timeshapes” are mechanical weight-driven or spring-driven clocks. “I strive to create a balanced, lively form, to highlight shapes inherent in the wood itself, and to make the whole piece come alive with graceful, whimsical motion,” Borden says in an artist’s statement. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Gold and Silver awards at the Smithsonian Craft Show in 2013 and 2014. Learn more at his website, timeshapes.com.

“I’ve worked with the Hickory Museum of Art and the Connors to locate the clock where it would contribute to the sense of imagination, wonder, time and rhythm, and beauty that are inherent in the works presented in the Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts,” said Ken Lambla, Dean of the College of Arts + Architecture. “The clock is beautifully made and causes us to pause for a moment to think about how it might be made and how it helps connect us to concepts of time in our lives.”

At right, James Borden with Time and Space.