What Is Time Based Art?

Time-Based media relates to the works of art that depends on technology and how it is displayed. The media includes video, slides and film which is art that unfolds according to the medium and how it is played back to the audience. Technology and installation is criteria for Time-based media pieces as they allow them to be taken forward into the future and be conserved carefully and accurately. When creating Time-based pieces, artists make specific decisions with the choice of media they use because it reflects the theme of the piece that they want to create and also how they want to present it. Also, specific display equipment is also important for an artist because a specific image quality and sound may be required in order to create the piece that the artist is wanting to achieve.

Specific technology places a work at a certain point in history and implies how the work was made. Art conservators must protect the recent, modern works as the “future past” which means thinking about the importance of the work in the future and the historical links that must be stored. Also, art conservators need to protect the relationship between how the Time-based pieces must be displayed and the quality of work when presented. All conservators must identify the risks to works of art and also minimise the change when improvement is required. Finally, conservators must consider the changes through technology and the environment as if the work has a strong link to a particular technology the greater risk the work will be lost. The technology and time-based work must be backed up and updated in order to preserve them for the future.

Installation

Time-based conservators continue to display the same collection into the future. The process needs to be recreated for the future and an artist called Bill Viola, who I have researched, has environment artworks that relies on installation. The pieces have specific sounds and areas that need to be displayed in order for the piece to work. At the Yorkshire Sculpture Park the Underground Gallery has been transformed into a darkened maze of corridors and gallery spaces which has been created in order for the pieces to be displayed and create the environment that Bill Viola is wanting to achieve.

Technology

Modern technology is always changing and it is important for Time-based media pieces to be updated and to be taken through into the future. Research and processes must be carried out to display copies and to ensure long preservation of the pieces. The works need to have constant maintenance once it is on display to protect the work for the future.

Video  

Videos must be created and compressed in order to adapt to new video formats. When the videos are placed onto new video formats the conservators must minimise changes to the appearance of the original. All the work must be backed up into data storage when the formats are updated. Artists can now edit their own work on a personal computer such as David Hockney, who creates animated “IPad Pieces”.

Film  

Time-based media films must rely on laboratories to produce the prints every three weeks to maintain and protect the quality of the original. The original films will stay with the artist but prints will be produced and be maintained so that it will be placed on display.

Slide Based Works

One of the main problems that conservators face with Time-based pieces is slide-based works. From the 1970s 35mm slides became popular because they create good quality images and mediums. However, slide-based works are difficult to conserve because there is a risk of it being exposed in the process of copying it. Currently, digital technology is being researched to find out if it can capture the same amount of colour and resolution.



References: http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/t/time-based-media
http://www.tate.org.uk/about/our-work/conservation/time-based-media