Sand Fountain

Cornell's Sand Fountains are activated by the viewer's participation, and are meant to be handled. Deceptively simple, Sand Fountain is akin to an ordinary sand timer, but when included in Cornell's universe, it takes on complex meanings and associations. The broken cordial glass that runs over is a metaphor for the passage of time. The suggestion of a lace curtain, painted onto the front of the glass and framing the fountain inside, is evocative of Cornell's nostalgia for the paraphernalia of Victorian parlors from his youth, another subtle hint to fleeting life.