Clock

The illustration, “Clock” by Pawel Kuczynski depicts a grandfather clock sitting in the middle of a graveyard. The pendulum of the clock, however, has been replaced with a shovel. As the, what would normally be a pendulum, swings, a grave is being dug. With every passing moment, the grave just gets deeper and deeper. 

This illustration is a bit different from the other works of art by Pawel Kuczynski, as it is not necessarily directly related to a problem regarding society today. Instead, this illustration is meant to serve as a reminder to all that see it. Kuczynski wants the viewers of this piece of art to remember that time is a very precious thing. Every moment we live is a moment closer to our time on Earth ending. On top of that, death is a very uncertain thing. Every time we close our eyes, we do so in the hopes that we will once again open them and see; every time we exhale, we do so in the hopes that this action will be followed by an inhale. Unfortunately however, there is never, has never, and will never be a guarantee that said next opening of the eyes or next inhale will happen. Once your time is up, there is absolutely nothing you can do to buy more. 

It is through this illustration that Pawel Kuczynski challenges the viewers of his art to truly live. In an age where technology, social media, video games and many other digital distractions are very prevalent. These digital distractions, while fun and entertaining in the moment, are ones that can ultimately lead to an unfulfilled and dull life. Pawel Kuczynski is against social media, in particular, and for good reason. On social media, it is so easy to get swept up into the lives of other people. On sites where our entire lives are displayed, there comes a point where we stop living for ourselves and begin living for others. We lose a sense of self fulfillment and attempt to show what we think will appeal to others. 

It can honestly be unbelievably unsettling to see just how far certain individuals are willing to go to put their lives on display. From live streaming births to being watched constantly on shows such as Big Brother, there must come a point, Kuczynski argues, that we are no longer living the way we desire, but because we want others to have a certain perception of our lives. I must say that I completely and wholeheartedly agree with the message that Kuczynski is sharing through this illustration. There is no point in living your life for anybody but yourself. We all only have one chance on this Earth, so we should all try our best to make that one chance as fulfilling as it can possibly be.