"The Present Moment of the Past” is an installation that merges my affinity for working with textile materials with the proposition of a site-specific installation that visually conveys the experience of time. The passing of time is usually thought of as linear, however this installation serves as a visual metaphor for the ways that memories convolute and warp our perception of time. The sole material used in the installation is metallic gold thread representing life's most valuable commodity: time. This delicate medium communicates how time is fragile, elusive, finite and precious. As the cascading thread emerges and dissolves, it becomes a visual barometer of how time is always present, yet often unseen and slips away. The fourteen cones of thread are hung by monofilament across the gallery, enabling the 70,000 yards of thread to fall freely off the spools and cascade to the ground. At times the thread moves slowly, in other moments quickly, and periodically it stands still and stops all together. The amassed thread on the ground represents the layered memories that create and distort the perception of time
. Photo Credit: Amanda Quinlan