James Turrell is one of my favourite contemporary artists. His work is hard to describe or portray in pictures - I know this because I had the privilege of visiting a Turrell exhibition in November 2010 at the Gagosian, London. Turrell’s work makes more sense when you see it in the flesh - or lack thereof. His work is primarily concerned with light and space, and Turrell has worked for years with perceptual psychology. This image is from one of Turrell’s more simple ideas - he has simply had a portion of the roof removed. While the process is simple, the effect is dramatic - the whole room becomes bathed in natural light, removed from the sterile white lighting of the traditional gallery. The viewer is able to track the light through the space, the light obviously moving throughout the day. The audience becomes immersed in a space which is quasi-religious. Something about Turrell installations brings the viewer an intense need to be quiet, to absorb and to bathe in the light peacefully. If you have an opportunity to view Turrell’s work, take it. The effects of such a simple, minimal aesthetic paired with a deep understanding of how we view light gives his work a special, magical quality.
Click through on the image for a link to Turrell’s page on the Artfund website.
