Clockwork Temptation: At the Edge of Choice | Nilanjan Bhowmik

Mixed Media, 16" x 13"

A suspended moment of instinct and illusion, Clockwork Temptation: At the Edge of Choice captures a fish on the brink of decision—mouth open, drawn toward an irresistible lure. Hand-cut and layered copper forms the body, its flame-kissed patina shimmering with life. Scales crafted from reclaimed capacitors evoke both memory and circuitry, while a watch cog eye and clockwork tail bind the creature to the passage of time.
Set against undulating blue waves on wood, the scene deepens: a real vintage bait dangles beside a steampunk fish fashioned from antique watch parts, connected by a repurposed guitar string line. The work explores tension between nature and mechanism, instinct and design—where even the wild is quietly entangled in time’s machinery.