A Tribute to the Modern-Day Master of Light and Space

By: Rick Hess, DISD

James Turrell has been working with colored light and space for nearly 50 years.  His extensive training in perceptual psychology has made him an expert in the field, and he has work all over the world illustrating the power light has on the human condition.  His art has received multiple awards and recognition internationally and he remains one of the most respected artists of the century.  “I make spaces that apprehend light for our perception, and in some ways gather it, or seem to hold it…my work is more about your seeing than it is about my seeing, although it is a product of my seeing.”— James Turrell

This post is a tribute to James Turrell and goes through some of his most extensive pieces from the 1960’s through today.  These images reveal Turrell’s amazing ability to transform space and light as we know it while tapping into our subconscious minds and allowing us to feel and breathe his spaces.

James Turrell’s work is viewed by architects, interior designers and artists worldwide, and neuroscientists use his work as a platform in studying how light and color effect our experiences. His creative work inspires interior design ideas that dig deep into how space is actually perceived and his work undoubtedly leaves one with a sensational journey through light, color and space.

Sources

https://www.flickr.com/photos/spindexr/14914923154

https://www.flickr.com/photos/musaeum/8866485658

https://www.flickr.com/photos/eschipul/186902644

https://vimeo.com/channels/1150998/66255151

https://vimeo.com/101934906

https://www.flickr.com/photos/russellstreet/26609325243

https://www.flickr.com/photos/40351463@N00/10104986524/