“My work is about your seeing. There is a rich tradition in painting of work about light, but it is not light –it is the record of seeing. My material is light, and it is responsive to your seeing.” –James Turrell
James Turrell is a light artist in the most genuine way. He uses light in a way that puts it as the medium and not just something involved with the art piece. He creates objects and places for people to have experiences through light.
Turrell has been featured in many museums but his work isn’t an easy thing to just throw up on a wall or place in a room. All of Turrell’s art pieces require modification to the space that it will be placed in. Whether it is blacking out or covering windows, building structures inside rooms, or creating zigzag hallways that prepare the viewer to see his art, there aren’t many “easy” installations when it comes to Turrell’s works.
The art that Turrell creates is all about immersive experience for the viewer. He works with shapes and light to create what appear to be physical embodiments of light. Experiencing Turrell’s art may take a lot of time for viewers to fully appreciate and understand his work. Laying on the ground and looking up at a mass of colored light or standing in what seems to be an dimensionless room are just two examples of what one could expect from Turrell’s work. Many people would say that it is impossible to explain his work without having experienced it.
One of Turrell’s art pieces that he is known for involve what is called a perceptual chamber. These chambers are for one person at a time and normally take about 12 minutes per person. Each person is slid into a chamber that is similar to an MRI machine. Once inside, the lights change and morph keeping beat to music that is played through headsets. Many people will not go inside these chamber because of the disorienting nature of Turrell’s work.
Overall Turrell has an amazing understanding of light and creating an experience using light as the subject and medium. To experience Turrell’s work is something that is inexplicable but unforgettable.