By Tajudeen Sowole
It was a rare kind of art
exhibition at the gallery of Visual Arts Society of Nigeria (VASON), situated
inside Freedom Park, Lagos, Island, when the business of time keeping took over the
walls.
Organized by horologist, Adebusola Akinnubi’s
Clockmania and spported by Omooba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Foundation (OYASAF),
the exhibition titled Unleashing the
Creativity in Horologist had diverse designs, old, new, from abroad and
local on display.
If clock were confined within the
functionality of time keeping, Aknnubi’s exhibition would have been irrelevant
in this age of digital gadgets. Sources of monitoring or keeping time is built
in nearly every soft wares of communicating tools such as handsets.
Part from the antique wall
and floor clock pieces Akinubi acquired or loaned for the show, quite some
designs were from her creative originality using discarded materials.
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The exhibited
horologist, Adebusola Akinnubi (left), Chief Bintan Famutimi and visiting
Director of African Museum, Smithsonian Insitution, Dr Johnnetta Cole during the
exhibition
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In sculptural form that combines
functionality and aesthetic, Akinnubi implores discarded CDs, vinyl disc,
monopoly table, computer components, fan blades and buttons of clothing.
Impressed by the creativity application of
creating art out of horology, particularly in recycling context, theh chairman
of the exhibition’s opening, Chief Bintan Famutimi, argued that “this is
another form of art”. He commended
Akinnubi for her sense of recycling, and assured “I will send some of my dead
gadgets to her for conversion into clocks”.
Explaining the importance of time keeping,
Famutimi, a businessman and Chairman Tricontinental Oil and Gas, Services
Limited said time is one of the most precious aspects of living as well an
easily perishable assets. He noted that as the heart of a man working from
birth, so the time ticks. Everybody,
irrespective of class has equal time of 24 hours. “You cannot be very rich or
poor and have more or less time than any other person”.
Indeed, in this age of mobile phones and IT
when clock is imbedded in soft wares, what is the relevance of clock in the
traditional form? “At home, office or hotel, clock remains relevance beyond
telling the time; they also add beauty and style as they are also art pieces”,
Akinnubi argued.
The horology-artist disclosed how her love
for the aesthetic of clock blossomed out of the formal training.“I did not study Horology
formally. It started with my passion for unusual clocks. I sell exotic clocks
and I wanted to do more challenging things as anyone can sell clocks hence the
beginning of my Horology story”.
The art content in her customized designs, she
explained “comes from the fact that the clocks we have are not regular
timepieces you see around. Our Clocks are more of Art pieces”.
Actually, clock falls into the sculpture
genres of art. One am wonders if Akinnubi is working towards having indigenous
production of the kind of sophisticated imported clock in master sculptural
piece displayed during the show. “Eventually we will get there as we are taking
one day at a time.
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