Light

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east...and also artist James Turrell. James Turrell, a member of the "light and space" movement starting in SoCal in the 1960s, creates art with only light as his medium. This manipulation of light is not about changing the light itself but more about altering the space itself. According to Turrell, "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." Turrell describes this sensation as "wordless thought".

The spaces Turrell creates alter reality. One exhibit in particular requires a waiver signed before entering the space, because the sensations are are so strong visitors have fainted.

Turrell is influenced by natural spaces, in particular, the Roden Crater which is an alteration of human perception. Turrell is building tunnels and windows in the crater, manipulating the experience of exploring the crater. He believes this crater represents geologic time. His intervention into the landscape is where human creation meets nature, thus furthering his goal of awareness.



As the offspring of two people who met working on an architectural project, the ability to change space to alter the physical and emotional state of an observer is fascinating to me. Light changes all visual aspects; photography, painting, theater, movies, architecture. Why does Best Buy feel so overwhelming? The lighting. Why is Christmastime so cozy? The lighting. Why is "The Haunting" so ominous? Probably the plot, actually.

But lighting really does influence our perception of, well, everything. Just look at Spanish literature. What would happen if we were in a constant state of tinieblas?