The Fullness of Time

A journey into the forgotten art of marking time through signs in the world around us – from the slow sliding of sunbeams to the wheeling of the stars.

Past generations would tell time by shadows shrinking, the midday glow over a mountaintop, the crowing of the rooster in the darkness. They noticed the flowers that close at noon, sensed how the quality of light changes at dusk, and marked time at night by the motion of the stars.

Today, in our clock-bound, screen-immersed world, most of us rely on machines to mark the hours. But what riches might we gain from reclaiming the forgotten art of sensing time by events in the living world?

Roaming from ancient downland to city streets, The Fullness of Time is an adventure in search of those patterns that once shaped the rhythm of our days – and an invitation to discover the simple, sensory joys of truly paying attention.

Author Biography

Cathy Haynes is a curator, writer, artist and educator who has been developing a creative practice on aspects of time for two decades. She has been Timekeeper in Residence at Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, artist in residence in Victoria Park for Chisenhale Gallery, Curator for Art on the Underground (Transport for London) and a founder faculty member at Alain de Botton’s School of Life. She has contributed to Cabinet Magazine, The Guardian, The Human Zoo on BBC R4 and Monocle Weekly. She lives in London.