Emma Hart opens a new episode in her pursuit of art that ‘does’ something by setting her sculptures to work outside. A series of radiant ceramic sundials take up space and take on time when Hart exuberantly reinvents the sundial as a face and nose. Each anthropomorphic sundial is under a different time pressure - some taking way too much, whilst others never have enough. Hart's sundials have been pushed around in clay and pressed and stretched for time. 

The vivid orange Out Of Time counts down on its fingers and screams out in panic whilst the telling shadow always points to ‘NO o’clock’ for the up against it No Time.  Meanwhile, psychedelic Nice Time blossoms, blooms and flowers up, beaming in the sun and My Time gets on with soaking up all the rays. Although, My Time pays a price for hogging the sun’s spotlight, Hart glazes concentric circles on its rear and My Time becomes a target.  Borrowed Time pushes two angry timekeepers face to face, forcing them to timeshare a nose and sunlight; each will get its own back, by casting a shadow over their opposite number.  

Each stoneware ceramic sundial is handmade by Hart and vividly drawn on with bright underglaze graphics and patterns that twist the idea of measuring sunlight and shadows. Hart gently plays with the history of sculpture by shaping her sundials out of clay platonic forms or building blocks. The half sphere of the dial makes the head, and is topped with a triangle for a nose. This shape is then echoed at the rear of the sculpture, where triangle wedges satisfyingly prop up the timepiece, whilst it all sits on a cuboid plinth. Given time, these ebullient sculptures become a more complex examination of how our bodies, physically and emotionally, experience time and space.  

Photographs by Thierry Bal. 

Emma Hart opens a new episode in her pursuit of art that ‘does’ something by setting her sculptures to work outside. A series of radiant ceramic sundials take up space and take on time when Hart exuberantly reinvents the sundial as a face and nose. Each anthropomorphic sundial is under a different time pressure - some taking way too much, whilst others never have enough. Hart's sundials have been pushed around in clay and pressed and stretched for time. 

The vivid orange Out Of Time counts down on its fingers and screams out in panic whilst the telling shadow always points to ‘NO o’clock’ for the up against it No Time.  Meanwhile, psychedelic Nice Time blossoms, blooms and flowers up, beaming in the sun and My Time gets on with soaking up all the rays. Although, My Time pays a price for hogging the sun’s spotlight, Hart glazes concentric circles on its rear and My Time becomes a target.  Borrowed Time pushes two angry timekeepers face to face, forcing them to timeshare a nose and sunlight; each will get its own back, by casting a shadow over their opposite number.  

Each stoneware ceramic sundial is handmade by Hart and vividly drawn on with bright underglaze graphics and patterns that twist the idea of measuring sunlight and shadows. Hart gently plays with the history of sculpture by shaping her sundials out of clay platonic forms or building blocks. The half sphere of the dial makes the head, and is topped with a triangle for a nose. This shape is then echoed at the rear of the sculpture, where triangle wedges satisfyingly prop up the timepiece, whilst it all sits on a cuboid plinth. Given time, these ebullient sculptures become a more complex examination of how our bodies, physically and emotionally, experience time and space.