It’s Time is a site-specific outdoor artwork installed at TurnPark Art Space in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It is a solar clock – a flat, vertical surface with a series of horizontal projections that act as gnomons. Text becomes legible as the sun moves throughout the day and seasons and the cast of the shadows move over the face. The orientation of the piece and length of the gnomons are calculated based on the geographic location so that the shadows align vertically with marks painted on the surface to spell “IF NOT NOW WHEN” at solar apex each day and the shadow length aligns on the autumnal equinox (September 23rd).

Conceptually, the piece intends to visually capture a sense of shifting time and engage participants in considering what information we need to understand the value of acting (or not) in the face of urgent, but overwhelming issues such as climate change, racism, and challenges to our reproductive rights. Why do we ‘put off till tomorrow what we could do today’ or wait for the ‘perfect moment’ when there is no better time than the present to do what really matters? What context do we need for understanding our choices?

We might arrive at the piece while the text is legible, or perhaps visit on a cloudy day, or too early or too late in the day for it to be clear. We might then be curious, wonder, contemplate, and come to realize the prompt by thinking about how the sun moves through the sky, reliably recording the evolution of time, and see how our participation in the pondering makes the piece complete. The question of how to encourage meaningful action is the subject of many studies, and findings often recognize that making a public commitment to participate has an important effect on people’s conviction and follow through. Participants in the piece are offered the opportunity to write and submit their own thoughts on what they’ve been putting off and share their commitment to action on It’s Time’s Instagram site: @its.time.art.

Watch a 1 1/2 minute time lapse video of It’s Time shadows moving throughout the day here.

It’s Time was commissioned by TurnPark Art Space and on display June – October 2023