Tim Hawkinson works in a variety of media, but most famously perhaps in the realm of kinetic sculpture. A well-known tinkerer, Hawkinson’s pieces often have an exposed ruggedness to them; a simplicity in their presentation that exposes the complex mechanical underpinnings and thougth processes often present within. Signature Chair, a 1993 sculpture, deals with themes of rhythmic repitition and self-obession through the use of a small motorized contraption attached to a vintage school desk. The contraption, which contains a pen, copies out “Tim Hawkinson” endlessly on rolls of paper, discarding the sheets around the desk itself. The process itself becomes the piece, as the quirky Rube Goldberg-esque contraption continually copies the artist’s name and then litters it on the ground. As the paper slowly envelops the desk, viewers are forced to consider their expectations created by the slow engulfment, raising questions on ego through our repetition of habits dealing with self-declaration and self-worth. 

Picture Credits

http://www.acegallery.net/artists/hawkinson/TH_sigchaird.jpg

Background info

http://www.frieze.com/issue/review/tim_hawkinson1/