The Sands of Time
COLFORD presents ‘Hyperbole - Tiempo’, a new body of work by London-based, Argentinian photographer, director and audiovisual artist Facundo Bustamante.
Considering the gift of time symbolised by the sand-filled hourglass, the series of 12 dynamic photographs was captured using Bustamante’s distinctive long exposure technique on the beach dunes of the Canary Islands.
Explore the imagery and read more about the project in the photographer’s own words.
Words & Photography - Facundo Bustamante
Gifting is about giving to others and, to me, it is closely linked to the thinking of others. What does it mean to give a ‘present'? What is the meaning of that ‘present’? The word itself connotes the current time, the moment, the act of thinking about the one who will receive the gift.
A small action or a couple of words showing support or acceptance - in essence, the spending of time - can be the most meaningful gift to someone. And to me, as I get older, time has amplified its value enormously.
“The idea of dedicating our time is a powerful offering, whether to someone else or to ourselves. We are time.”
As we age, we appreciate time more than before, perhaps because we have less of it, and I think we become more aware of how finite we are. I see it in a positive way.
Musing on this, a vivid memory of a sand-filled hourglass belonging to my grandma Maria, comes to my mind. My brother and I used to play with it, contemplating the sand sliding through the narrow glass channel from top to bottom until we would flip the device over and begin all over again…
I studied ‘Image and Sound Design’ in the Faculty of Architecture, Design & Urbanism at the University of Buenos Aires. Starting early in my studies, I have worked for over 24 years in the creative industries, including theatre, television, film, photography and the visual arts.
Since settling in the UK, I’ve collaborated on a vast array of photographic projects, nourishing and sharing skills with incredibly talented and wonderful professionals I’ve been lucky to work alongside. I’ve focused my work primarily on the editorial field on food, lifestyle, still life and interiors projects, while developing my personal projects simultaneously. Building on this foundation, my practice has evolved to prioritise unique, memorable commissions that stand out, ensuring every project reflects a distinct creative vision.
This new series ‘Hyperbole - Tiempo’ (time), commissioned by COLFORD, is a new body of work following the aesthetics of the original ‘Hipérbole’ (Hyperbole) artworks series. Curated by Carlos Caamaño, the collection was exhibited in the cities of Lima and Buenos Aires in 2024, and published in the print issue #1 of analōgica photographic magazine.
“My approach is to embrace the imperfect, the unique and the unpredictable; accompanied and embedded in a strong pictorial aesthetic capturing those incidents of light, shadow and form in a relatively short period of time, but just long enough so they are ‘brushed’ into the frame.”
I wanted to shoot this project in a natural landscape, so in my head ‘sand’ became dunes, and I went for it. This series was shot entirely in the Canary Islands across several days and different times of the day - not only embracing a very particular time of my personal life but also embracing time as a gift to myself and embracing the imperfection of life.
Each photograph is a single, unique take using in-camera, traditional exposure techniques; there is no post-production or AI involved at all. This distinction is what makes the series so special, setting it apart from the conventional. I am not interested in creating typical imagery - avoiding the ordinary is a core principle of my work.
The sequencing of the series was equally envisioned with the concept of the passing of time in mind. Each of the 12 pictures represents a month of the year with the potential for the collection to become a physical calendar in the future, that in turn could be presented as a gift.
“This project became more personal than I originally thought it would. It helped me to deeply connect with myself and to revalue my idea of gifting as well.”
‘Hyperbole - Tiempo’ is also an invitation to ‘hug’ every single moment that we can become present in our lives, observing even the simplest of things. Isn’t life about enjoying those small moments?
Putting together two sayings that a very dear person in my life and I say: at the end of the day, those moments of time lived are the ones we’ll take with us, we’d better make the most of them and give it to the ones we care about most too - including ourselves.
I truly appreciate COLFORD having me on board for this adventure and giving me the freedom to create this body of work. It has allowed me to connect with myself and explore the concept of gifting in ways I never imagined.
Facundo Bustamante is an Argentinian photographer, director and audiovisual artist based in London.