Calm and Chaos

For my second depiction of time I wanted to show the contrast between our experience of time as passing slowly and abruptly speeding up – a phenomenon we encounter regularly in our day to day lives. The candle which starts of burning slow and steady leaves the viewer uncertain as to if something is going to happen. The sparks and big flame come abruptly, without warning and quickly fade again. The calm minutes before the chaos forces the viewer to be patient and wait and watch as the time passes seemingly steadily. The chaos comes as a surprise and portrays the unpredictability that time holds. It also represents how the time can seem to pass slow and steadily but can also quickly speed up and is over in a flash. This was also a chance for me to include a playful aspect to a conceptual and philosophical topic.

To make this candle I had to be cautious as to what elements I mixed into I did this in controlled amounts and in a controlled setting. The least dangerous but still entertaining solution was a combination between fondue paste and sparklers. Even though I knew roughly what awaited me after a few tests, the surprise effect was different every time, making it unpredictable for me too. The candle holder is a simple construction, with a flat round metal base and a pipe which I welded from behind for a clean finish. As this was the least complex object I waited to build the construction until last to allow some freedom.

the wax. I had to find a balance between a candle which could be potentially dangerous and one which would be underwhelming. I tested various flammable materials in various combinations.