Timepiece Mythos — Dane Winkler

Timepiece Mythos, 2021

11’ x 32’ x 16’

Reclaimed barn materials

This work was exhibited on the lawn at Arlington Arts Center in Arlington, VA in the summer of 2021.

Timepiece Mythos is built entirely out of materials from a dismantled 100 year old barn located in Ramseur, NC. As an architectural folly, the work invites the viewer into a familiar barnlike space, stretched into a semi circle that ends on the same plane it started. This idea speaks to the cyclical nature of things. Nearly every origin story throughout history proposes some kind of genesis flood narrative - that is, a god given reversal of creation through a flood that returns earth to a watery chaos. I am interested in these narratives from a pseudoscience perspective, most notably Noah’s Arch. Poet Ocean Vuong offers the idea of the pressure on Noah, “What an incredible mythos to work and live by, which is that when the apocalypse comes, what will you put into the vessel for the future?”.

This idea feels especially poignant for a myriad of reasons, both personally and collectively. At this time, as we continue to destroy one another and this planet in immeasurable ways, moving forward must come with absolute change. My siblings and I spent the summer of 2020 completely rebuilding the 18th century farmhouse where we grew up in upstate New York. It was equally needed for structural repair as well as spiritual transformation. Wondering about that as well as those who built the structure, who was there, and what the land felt like that long ago was an unwieldy and cathartic experience. In ways, the house feels like a ‘vessel for the future’.

A timepiece is a device used to measure passing time. Mythos is another word for myth, but it now more commonly refers to a body of interconnected myths or stories, specifically for fictional mythologies, such as worldbuilding. Worldbuilding is about creating an imaginary world, perhaps free of dread. These distinct places and times spanning centuries and hundreds of miles all suggest an intimate connection and inspiration for me.

Artist Talk about this work here