10 Seconds to Each Point, a work of time-based Web browser art by Damon Zucconi, describes 10 seconds in the Web browser.
At first glance, though, one doesn’t view the time of these 10 seconds, but rather, the movement through space of a small red orb with a white center – perhaps the “eye” of the Hal 9000 computer? – as it linearly bounces through and glides along the edges and intersections of a rectangular black plane.
One quickly realizes that the speed of the ball as it bounces between the walls, though, is not premised on physics (as in, say, Pong), but rather a uniform amount of time: 10 seconds.
The title of the work nudges you to this.
10 Seconds to Each Point.
That’s what it says.
So one wonders:
Is it really ten seconds to each point?
Let’s count.
“1 second”
“2 seconds”
“3 seconds”
“4 seconds”
“5 seconds”
“6 seconds”
“7 seconds”
“8 seconds”
“9 seconds”
“10 seconds”
(pop)
“1 second”
“2 seconds”
“3 seconds”
“4 seconds”
“5 seconds”
“6 seconds”
“7 seconds”
“8 seconds”
“9 seconds”
“10 seconds”
(pop)
“1 second”
“2 seconds”
“3 seconds”
“4 seconds”
“5 seconds”
“6 seconds”
“7 seconds”
“8 seconds”
“9 seconds”
“10 seconds”
(pop)
“1 second”
“2 seconds”
“3 seconds”
“4 seconds”
“5 seconds”
“6 seconds”
“7 seconds”
“8 seconds”
“9 seconds”
“10 seconds”
(pop)
Every time the orb “pops” – dictated by the time unit of ten seconds – one feels a pleasurable violation.
Pop.
Again, again, again, again.
(pop)
…
(pop)
…
(pop)
…
(pop)
…
It’s the rhythm one responds to.
And as one feels this pleasure, one begins to makes a picture of it.
10 seconds.