Colin Lyons (United States)
Title: Time Machine for Abandoned Futures
Medium: Sculpture
Date of work: 2023
Dimensions: 12″x12″x16″
Description:
This installation explores the remnants of the Klondike gold rush in Dawson City, Yukon, Canada. During his visit there, Colin Lyons was struck by the vast tailing piles left by decades of dredging in the area and he soon felt these tailings represented the authentic ruins of the gold rush era.
Delving deeper into the Klondike history, Lyons embarked on a treasure hunt along the dredge tailings near Bonanza Creek. Using a metal detector, he excavated industrial cast-offs to create his collection of artifacts. Through an electrolytic cleaning process acid on etching plates were first employed to remove rust from the scavenged artifacts, then etching the markings left by decades of rust and erosion, he created topographical maps on the surfaces, thus memorializing the lifespan of each artifact.
Time Machine serves as a prototype for preserving degradation. It challenges the efficiency-driven approach of modern industrial pursuits by embracing an absurd inefficiency. The installation prompts contemplation on the preservation of history and the impact of human activities on the environment.