About this artwork
Throughout his artistic practice, which ranged from paintings to postcards, On Kawara sought to materialize the passage of time. Resembling a pocket Bible in size and paper material, One Million Years is an artist’s book divided into two volumes: Past, which accounts for the years 998,031 BCE to 1969 CE, and Future, which encompasses 1993 CE to 1,001,992 CE. Each page lists 500 years, so the average human lifespan fits into a mere fraction of a single page. The visually overwhelming series of numbers pushes the human imagination to its limits, attempting to capture the expansiveness of time.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Ryerson and Burnham Libraries Special Collections
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Artist
- On Kawara
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Title
- One Million Years
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Place
- Brussels (Object made in:)
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Date
- 1999
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Medium
- Two-volume artist's book of 4024 pages, printed on featherweight Bible Veritable Ivory paper, with black leather covers featuring gold and silver embossing, and a black leather slipcase
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Edition
- Edition 178 of 570
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Dimensions
- Single Volume: 15 × 11.5 × 4.3 cm (5 15/16 × 4 9/16 × 1 3/4 in.)
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Credit Line
- Ryerson and Burnham Libraries Operating Fund
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Reference Number
- 2023.3231
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
