AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

Deeply reflecting the new and swiftly evolving technological landscape of their time, Robert Rauschenberg’s Carnal Clocks(1969) serve as a prime example of collaborations between artists, engineers, and manufacturing companies, and the use of innovative materials and processes in contemporary art. A unique series of 15 timepieces conceived by the artist, the free-standing artworks feature a concealed clock-mechanism with custom-made electronics and 48 incandescent light bulbs that subtly illuminate mirrored, silkscreened photographs on acrylic sheets to convey the passage of time. In this presentation, a condition survey of 11 Carnal Clocks in the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation (RRF) collection will be discussed as a case study to offer new insights into the management of temporal and material changes in time-based media art conservation. In addition to historical and comparative analysis, the authors conducted an experiment to measure time drift and accuracy across each of the Clocks. Their idiosyncratic behavior prompted questions not only about how their material properties have changed over time, but also about how their function as “clocks” hinges on fluctuating cultural perceptions of time. As a result of this research, the authors presented recommendations to the RRF for an acceptable threshold for clock drift and a solution for its correction, aiming to strike a balance between presenting the artwork authentically and aligning with the technological and institutional needs and values of the present. This proposal has undergone deliberations with RRF collection managers, as well as curators and conservators from other institutions with Carnal Clocks in their collections. Drawing from these conversations, the applicability of contemporary values and challenges associated with present-day exhibitions is discussed, addressing time and staffing constraints in exhibiting institutions, the growing significance of public programming and engagement, and the management of obsolete technology. Through this research, the authors shine a light bulb on how we value time in time-based media conservation.

This project was made possible by the generous support of Voices in Contemporary Art (VoCA) and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. VoCA played a crucial role in establishing the partnership between the RRF, the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, and the Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University

Keywords: Values-based decisions; Contemporary art; Time-based media art; Carnal Clocks; Robert Rauschenberg