Time is such a fickle thing, and yet we are bound as mortal human beings to live with it. The desire to control and manipulate time has been the aim of philosophers, artists, and the common man alike since our species has taken its first steps into the realm of recorded history. Though our views of it have been multiple and varied, ranging from linear to cyclical to an ever present now or some combination thereof, the fact remains that we each experience it, and, through trying to define it, we seek to master it (McDaniel, Robertson, 124). Whether fully aware of their endeavor or not, artists are always reflecting time via their medium of choice. Political artwork aimed at initiating a crucial change, a self-portrait showcasing an inner mental state, an abstract avant-garde piece; all of these creations are an instant of life made manifest. Through the items we create to the clothes we wear to to words we speak, we are perpetually reflecting time. What would the quest to command time mean? An obvious answer would be longevity, but the artworld would no doubt have more interesting results to this conundrum.

Emotions are inextricably tied up with time. The quality of our consciousness colors time and seems to add an extra dimension of perceived speed. When bored, we are terribly aware of the duration of seconds, minutes, and the counting off of them (McDaniel, Robertson). Because of documents and saved artifacts, we have been able to divide up past time into periods that each have a certain feel to them. Could one deny the gilded splendor (perhaps even gaudiness) of the Byzantine era? The states artists have tried to reflect over the centuries has ranged from the corners of human experience to the common place.