Connecticut Clock 1949

Karl Knaths made this painting, Connecticut Clock. Knaths was deeply influenced by the avant-garde movements he encountered in Europe. The shapes and forms coalesce into a still life, yet it exists as an abstraction. The question I often ponder is how artists navigate representing time. Knaths uses the image of a clock as a stand in for representing the idea of time, and our social obligation to it. He makes use of an abstract painting style to portray these items, freeing him to play with how we perceive and conceptualize ordinary items. The painting asks us to consider the relationship between the physical world and our mental landscape. It serves as a reminder of how our minds organize and interpret the information they receive.