“I’m interested in the sense of presence of space; that is space where you feel a presence, almost an entity — that physical feeling and power that space can give.”
Turrell often cites the Parable of Plato’s Cave to introduce the notion that we are living in a reality of our own creation, subject to our human sensory limitations as well as contextual and cultural norms. This is evident in Turrell’s over eighty Skyspaces, chambers with an aperture in the ceiling open to the sky. The simple act of witnessing the sky from within a Turrell Skyspace, notably at dawn and dusk, reveals how we internally create the colors we see and thus, our perceived reality.
Many of us are lucky to be familiar with Turrell’s work in the gallery setting, or public museum, but we find his work in residential commissions to be especially inspiring. Enjoy some of our favorites here.
All images courtesy of The New York Times. Photographs by Jackie Nickerson.
James Turrell, Picture Plane, Los Angeles
Jarl and Pamela Mohn’s screening room is open to the sky and lit with LEDs that change colors every few seconds. The skyspace is cut to the same dimensions of the screen, and Turrell designed all aspects of the room (chairs, wall upholstery, carpet) to heighten the experience. Says the collector, “I’ve told [Turrell] many times the room is the centerpiece of our social life. He created an amazing, magical experience.”
Another view of Picture Plane, Turrell’s commissioned viewing room.
James Turrell, Craiganour, Pertshire, Scotland
Collector Ivor Guest commissioned Turrell to build him “a place you could inhabit and think about things”. The slate interior intensifies the ultraviolet blues in the sky, and it is a space where one can ponder the bigness of the landscape and the sense of scale and time that wilderness invokes.
A view through the oculus – James Turrell, Craiganour, Pertshire, Scotland
James Turrell, St. Elmo’s Breath, Houghton Hall, Great Britain
David Rocksavage commissioned James Turrell to produce two pieces for his estate, Seldom Seen, set within the formal garden space, and St. Elmo’s Breath, set within a water tower, inspired by the discharge of lightning.
Houghton Hall, one of the finest Palladian houses in Britain.
James Turrell, Raising Kayne, Santa Monica
Collector Ric Kayne’s skyspace raises and lowers hydraulically to function both as a skyspace as well as a dining area that seats 12. Turrell also designed the Kayne Griffin Corocoran Gallery in Los Angeles.
James Turrell has a wonderful website here. His presentation of Roden Crater is not to miss (currently only available to the public on-line), his large scale installation in a dormant cinder cone is the culmination of over 40 years of his work with light and space.
