Two synchronously moving wall clocks function as typical elements that people commonly see in household interiors. However, at the same time, this simple, unembellished installation leaves ample space for interpretation, inviting viewers to fill it with their meanings. The perception of the work changes when the viewer learns the conditions under which it was created.
At that time, Gonzalez's partner was already close to death, and the clocks — symbols of a gay romantic union — would forever break apart as soon as they stopped showing at the same time.
Gonzalez-Torres said that time frightened him: "This work with two clocks was the scariest thing I ever did. I wanted to confront it. I wanted those two clocks to be right in front of me, ticking."
By considering the objects through the lens of personal experience, the viewer comes to an awareness of the abstraction of the concept of love and the death that will destroy it.
For each of his works, the artist wrote separate instructions, expanding the boundaries of his pieces. According to his wishes, the clocks should have identical sizes, and designs, and touch each other. If one of them breaks, it must be replaced with another, making the work about finitude endless.