INTANGIBLE: JAMES TURRELL, MASTER OF LIGHT
Light’s intangible nature obscures the essential role it plays in our everyday lives. Its ephemeral and shifting essence is easily overlooked, even though it heavily influences the way we perceive our surroundings.
Photo by Udo Geisler via Flickr
The artist James Turrell, a pioneer of the Light and Space movement, has spent decades exploring this subject. Turrell understands that light is not merely a source of illumination; it is an instrument that can be shaped and molded to create a meaningful experience. Turrell’s manipulation of light and color has the power to influence our perception of space. The minimalist quality of his work allows for layers of different interpretations from the viewer.
Turrell began his journey in 1966. As he worked in his Santa Monica studio, he would observe natural light streaming in from the windows. He witnessed how it moved and changed throughout the day, and became fascinated by the different angles, colors, and shadows that were cast. Turrell then began to understand light as a diverse and beautiful medium and started painting the windows of his studio to alter the shape of the light beams that passed through. His simple experiments with these projections began a life-long study of light and space.
Photo (left) by Darbui via Wikimedia Commons
Photo (right) by Lux & Jourik via Flickr
James Turrell showcased his artistry and expertise with light in his show at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Aten Reign. In this work, Turrell tranformed the interior of the museum’s iconic rotunda by suspending illuminated rings from the ceiling. Throughout an hour-long loop the rings changed colors, cycling between vibrant reds and deep blues. The otherworldly glow cast by the lights turned the museum from a fiery inferno to a shadowy void, forcing viewers to change their perception of the space.
Photo by David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons
Through his exploration, Turrell has become a well-known master of light as a medium. His work radiates cosmic beauty and spiritual energy. Viewers of his work can feel simultaneously outside of time and space and right at home. In his own words, Turrell says:
“My work has no object, no image and no focus. With no object, no image and no focus, what are you looking at? You are looking at you looking. What is important to me is to create an experience of wordless thought.”
Photo by Ed Schipul via Flickr
James Turrell’s work reveals the fundamental beauty and power of light. Viewers are challenged to perceive light as a unique form of communication and expression. By manipulating angles of light and color, Turrell shows that any space can be completely transformed.
Our goal with REVELUCENT is for everyone to explore how lighting can make life beautiful and radiant. We encourage you to let James Turrell inspire you – and make lighting an experience of your own.