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Examine the inevitability of time

Create a work that examines the inevitability of the passing of time, as well as the desire to hold onto youth

In 1913, a cast of Camille Claudel’s The Age of Maturity, from a sculpture originally commissioned by the French state, was made for a private client, Captain Tissier. Often interpreted as an autobiographical work, illustrating her muse Auguste Rodin being drawn away from his young lover by his ageing mistress, the sculpture can also be read as an allegory – the central figure turns his back on youth as he moves towards ageing and death.

In 2019, emerging artists from the University of Melbourne were commissioned to create a piece that examines the theme of inevitability, as well as the desire to hold onto youth. Their responses analyse our relationship with time through the themes of nostalgia, memory, love and death.

Response

White text on a black screen reads, "Darrin Archer - 'Reflections On Zen Meditation'. For solo marimba in 3 movements. Therese Ng: marimba. Proudly presented by Fine Arts and Music at the University of Melbourne. 1 - 'All Is One'."

Therese, a young woman wearing a sleeveless black dress, her long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, stands at a marimba in an auditorium holding two mallets in each hand. She plays the composition. The sheet music is displayed before her on adjacent music stands, and she has spare mallets to hand; at one point during the recital using three in each hand.

White text on a black screen reads, "2 - 'The Journey to Enlightenment'."

Therese plays the composition with three marimba mallets in each hand. She sways gently as she plays.

White text on a black screen reads "3 - 'Resolution'."

Therese stands at the marimba with a single music stand in front of her. She plays lightly with three mallets in each hand.

About a third of the way through the recital she puts two mallets aside, keeping two in each hand, and then halfway through she retrieves the third mallet for each hand.

Darrin Archer

Reflections on Zen Meditation For 5 octave marimba, in 3 movements

Artist Statement

Reflections on Zen Meditation examines the inevitability of the passing of time, as well as the desire to hold onto youth. Inspired by improvisations from an album recorded in 1964 (in Japan): Music for Zen Meditation. The result is a 3-movement work for marimba. Each movement reflects on an aspect of Zen meditation, and/or themes based on Zen philosophy.