There’s know denying that artist James Turrell questions perception. Staring into the abyss of light that he molds and shapes into art, the viewer is prompted to question the way we look at life, and even the composition of our own soul.
I recently visited James Turrell: A Retrospective at LACMA and was happy to get lost. The exhibition explores nearly fifty years in the career of James Turrell, including early geometric light projections, prints and drawings, installations exploring sensory deprivation and seemingly unmodulated fields of colored light, and recent two-dimensional work with holograms. There were no photos allowed, but I did manage to sneak a few 😉
Turrell was born in LA in 1943 and has since been developing various bodies of work in some quite interesting locations around the world, including a crater in Arizona. It’s called Roden Crater, and is a site-specific intervention into the landscape just outside Flagstaff, Arizona, presented through models, plans, photographs, and films. The exhibition features how Turrell flew in his plane for countless hours searching for the perfect piece of land for his masterpiece, and then he found it.
Another wonderful part of the exhibit was a room full of changing colors of light that made you feel  – and everyone got special booties!
How we look at life shapes the reality we live in, and if you haven’t been to the Turrell Retrospective at LACMA yet, we definitely recommend you make it a point to stop by. Don’t forget to visit the Dark Matter room as well!
Written by Jacqueline Chambers
Jacqueline Chambers is the founder of TGIFguide. She uses her innate skills as a natural “connector” to serve businesses, brands and individuals in the LA area and beyond.
