Exhibition: ‘The Days Pass Like Shadows’ by Tim Mccool

There is a ruined pier standing in the English Channel, which used to display a sundial bearing this inscription: SINE UMBRA NIHIL. Without shadow, I am nothing. Sitting by Lake Maggiore, nestled in the Italian Alps, there is a church with a sundial, and a different message: SINE SOL NIHIL. Without the sun, I am nothing.

Many sundials in many other locations across the globe are engraved with their own sayings. Some dials convey a lighthearted epigram, telling the passerby that NUNC EST BIBENDUM: Now is the time to drink, or FESTINA LENTE: Make haste slowly. Some dials urge the reader back to work or to prayer. Many others serve as memento mori, reminding all that as time progresses, eternity draws near.

My title for this collection of paintings, The days pass like shadows, references these types of sundial mottoes. Today, sundials are not as prominent or present as they once were. Yet when I walk around the city, I see satellite dishes, air conditioner units, and telephone poles casting their shadows and, by doing so, silently marking the passage of time.

The potential for these images exists only for a matter of minutes until the sun continues its journey across the sky or down below the horizon, altering the shapes and patterns and potential compositions. This makes the discovery of these images subject to clouds, storms, or chance occurrence. However, I know that if I visit a particular neighborhood or street corner, and I’m particularly fortunate that day, I can catch a glimpse of something remarkable before shadow and nighttime erase it all over again.

Dates: May 10 - June 15, 2024