Feeling My Age

Earlier this year I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of this clock in London’s Science Museum, which is almost the twin of one I’d seen in Cambridge a few months previously. How many of these scary mechanical sculptures could there be? Just the two, it turns out – according to johnctaylor.com:

“Named The Midsummer Chronophage because it was first exhibited on 23 June 2010, the creature on top of this clock appears battle-hardened with leathery, spiked skin and weathered limbs.”

“It walks relentlessly above the face. The wings rock backwards and forwards, together with the haltares (evolved from wings and now used to help balance). The bulbous eye blinks randomly.”

“The Chronophage’s mouth opens slowly, suddenly snapping shut every 60 seconds to bite off the minute just passed. With glowing tongue lolling, the creature appears to masticate while digesting time.”

“On the quarter hour the forked tail stings, quivers and slowly sinks. On the strike of each hour, the number of stings matches the unearthly chimes.”

Chronophage literally means “time eater” – from the Greek “Chronos” (time) and “phago” (eat) apparently – and this shockwave version can be downloaded as a free desktop app or screensaver.

However the Corpus Chronophage [More]

Hilarious but nonetheless scary footage of U.S. bikers en masse – shot in 1080p HD with a yearning, elegaic soundtrack by the curiously named Mary Cigarettes.

It wouldn’t sound out of place on a Joni Mitchell album and could just as easily easily come from 1986 or even 1968. Except that back then no male artist I can think of would have had the balls to write and sing lyrics as openly, sensuously queer as this  – and no record company or radio station would have allowed us to hear them.

Click here for more videos from Mr Cigarettes and here for more of his music.