Jody Culkin I Tell the Time

Artist-in-Residence Jody Culkin (Oswego, NY) constructed a temporary sculpture titled I Tell the Time. The work is built on site and is named after the traditional sundial inscription. The work features a sundial facing south bolted to a steel “archway.” The bridge-like construction “appears to be growing out of the fence and the sundial, mounted on the southern side of the archway, serves as a timekeeper,” says the artist. “Its erector-set look reminds the viewer of the nearby bridges crossing the river to Manhattan.”

The perforated steel arches of the sculpture are fabricated on site and measure approximately 5’ x 10”. All segments of the “bridge” are covered with a coat of red enamel paint. The finished sculpture measures 28’ x 12’ x 14’ and weighs approximately 750 pounds.

Culkin feels that the time-keeping function of this piece makes it especially appropriate for a public site such as Cadman Plaza. “Sundials are a traditional feature found in gardens throughout the world, and the mechanics of the dial, as well as the traditions which surround it, are something that can be easily explained to school groups and passersby alike.”