Clock Face c. 1936

Ann Gene Buckley made this 'Clock Face' with what looks like watercolor or colored pencil, and it's like she’s not just copying a clock, but kind of reimagining time itself. I wonder what Buckley was thinking, taking something so everyday, so functional, and turning it into this delicate drawing. Look at the face, those hand-drawn numerals, and the ornate details. The floral decoration is really something – these little bursts of pattern that frame the edges. See how the red pigment pools in some areas and is dry brushed in others? Maybe she was playing with ways to mark time, not just by minutes and hours, but with her own rhythm and touch. I like to think about the way time can be marked by feelings, and by memory. The history of painting is full of artists who took up the challenge of depicting time, space, and motion – from the Futurists to the Impressionists. Buckley, in her own way, joins that conversation.