In ‘Untitled (Adrift)’, Timothy Silver documents the demise of a boat made of pigment. In three poetic moments, the object subsides from vessel to vapour - evoking not only profound meditations on materiality, but also on temporality.

Across his career, Silver has utilised perishable materials. In works like this, these materials are used to unite mediums - paint makes a sculpture, which acts as an installation before being photographed. The genre of landscape which is given to fixedness, is also made fluid and elusive. Rather than gliding across water, Silver’s boat succumbs to it. In these subtle subversions, there is a sense that all objects, regardless of appearance are fallible. Rather than being nihilistic however, this exercise in decay acts as a reminder of the preciousness of time. As the boat decomposes, it evolves into a watercolour, suggesting that from death, new life is born. 

Other impression from Silver’s ‘Untitled (Adrift)’ are represented in the permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

Timothy SILVER (1974 - )
'Untitled (Adrift) 1 - 3' 2004
Archival Ink on Archival Watercolour Paper
Edition of 10
Image Size: 46 x 65 cm
Dimensions: 63 x 83 x 4 cm
Condition: As New: The work of art is in the same immaculate condition as when it was created. This could be the description for a work of art that may have been in storage for years, never sold on the market but may still be some years old.