Fleeing from Absence

Literary Nonfiction. Criticism and Theory. Edited by Julia Druk. Limited edition of 500, signed by the author. In FLEEING FROM ABSENCE, Olga Ast explores the nature and interpretations of time in four essays: "The Visualization of Time," "In Search of Absent Time," "The Origin of Forms'" and "A Copy Machine." Eschewing narrow distinctions between disciplines traditionally employed to discuss the concept of time, Ast blends evidence and opinions from art, science, philosophy and literature into a cohesive whole. While the cross-disciplinary approach of combining the arts with science is increasingly popular, Ast believes that we have yet to see a true collaboration between them. Her book and other interdisciplinary projects attempt to establish a new medium that not confined to art or science but drawn from both.

Olga Ast has presented her work at the Kloone 4000 Science/Art International Project, Rutgers and Goettingen Universities, the Current Space Gallery and NYC Future Salon. In 2009, she organized and curated the ArcheTime Conference and Exhibition in New York dedicated to exploring artistic, academic and scientific concepts of time. Ast's work as a conceptual artist investigates the connection between time, space and information, and the impact that they have on everything that we find around us. Olga Ast's editor Julia Druk is an Information Architect. She has a degree in Intellectual History from Yale University, and continues to explore contemporary cultural shifts and the social impact of new media.