Theodore Talk: A Horological Discourse: Mechanism, Risk and Wonder

With ingenuity and design came reflection on our place in the universe, the tilt of the earth's axis, precision and predictability, and the limits of our cognitive capacities. We engineered mechanisms to navigate our oceans and map the cosmos, explore metaphysical realms by animating the dead and rendering forms from the golden mean. We generated machines of wonder that could play music, make magic and conjure bird song. We made devices for detonating the first manifestation of manmade existential risk, destroying living organisms by the millions.

Through examining the connections between this diverse set of objects, we will trace the story of craft and the science of horology, demonstrating its pivotal role in design through the ages and why their preservation is vital to our future.

Brittany Nicole Cox, a horological conservator based in Seattle Washington, has a Masters in the Conservation of Clocks and Related Dynamic Objects from West Dean College, UK. She founded Memoria Technical in 2015 where she teaches, makes original work, and operates her conservation studio. Her work has been shown at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and was featured in National Geographic and two feature-length documentaries. She has written for Vanity Fair and is working on a manuscript to be published by Penguin Press.

Registration rates for Theodore Talks are FREE to all members.

Register for this presentation here.

You must register for each lecture with an email address associated with your Zoom account. If you don't have one, you can sign up for a free Zoom account here.

Even if you can't attend the live Theodore Talk, as long as you register you will receive a link to a recording of the event. All Theodore Talks have Closed Captioning enabled.

For more information, contact Brad Lucht.