James Turrell Earlene Mulakampilly 10.1

About James Turrell James Turrell was born in Los Angeles in His undergraduate studies at Pomona College mainly paid attention to psychology and mathematics. Later, in graduate school, he pursued art. He received an MFA in art from the Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, California. Did his life have an impact on his art later

About James Turrell continued… His parents were Quakers (members of the religious society of Friends founded by George Fox). His father was an aeronautical engineer and educator. His mother trained as a medical doctor and later worked in the Peace Corps. Turrell got a pilot's license when he was 16 years old. He subsequently flew supplies to remote mine sites and worked as an aerial cartographer(a person who makes maps).

Turrell’s art style James Turrell is one of the world's greatest living artists. Many people around the world recognize his name and his artworks. Turrell’s work is mostly based on light, perception and space. His artworks impact the eye, body, and mind; most of his works increase spiritual awareness. Usually, people think of art as a painting that hangs on a wall. Turrell's works are not of this nature and are usually spaces filled with light. Turrell’s artwork puts viewers in a land of pure experience.

Artworks Within Without, 2010, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia Sky Pesher, 2005, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, United States Milk Run, 1996, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC, United States

RODEN CRATER

The Roden Crater project is Turrell's most challenging project and is being constructed in a extinct volcano in the Painted Desert of northern Arizona, northeast of Flagstaff. The Roden Crater is a cinder cone type of volcanic cone from an extinct volcano, with a remaining interior volcanic crater. It is located northeast of the city of Flagstaff in northern Arizona, United States. James Turrell has taken over the 400,000- year-old, 3-mile-wide crater's land. Turrell has since been transforming the inner cone of the crater into a massive naked-eye observatory, designed specifically for the viewing and experiencing sky-light, solar, and heavenly phenomena(the space and the ever-changing nature of light created by the light of the sun, moon, stars). What is the RODEN CRATER? This line is repeated abut the location of the crater

My opinion When I first saw the Roden Crater it reminded me of a flattened volcano because the height of the crater is not great. It is pretty short. The idea of turning a volcanic crater to an observatory is extraordinary and imaginative. I like the idea a lot and the actual structure as well. It is a creative design where one can observe the natural phenomena of light. The Roden Crater makes me feel like there is still are many inventions/artworks that can change this world into a newer place. How does this change your opinion about art in general, though its imaginative do you think this work can be art

How does the Roden Crater look? The Roden Crater is a crater of an extinct volcano therefore it has the conical shape of an actual volcano. Turrell is mainly developing the interior parts of the crater from which one can see the light phenomena. The surrounding areas of the Roden Crater is nothing but barren land. The outer looks of the crater is nothing but shades of yellow. It looks like it is covered with dust. The natural structure itself is not very high therefore it does not have the likely immense size and fierceness of an actual volcano(from the pictures). The interior of the crater when developed looks very modern and innovative. As Turrell is mainly inspired by lights and open space the internal crater reflect his inspiration/fascination.

Deeper Analysis Cinder is used in the crater. It is almost as hard as glass, and yet it’s light and has insulating properties because it contains air. Many types of sand were collected from the Painted desert and used to improve the aesthetics of the crater. In the gallery, there are four light bulbs. This crater stands off by itself and comes out of a plane that is the Painted Desert. There is a tunnel so that the visitor doesn’t go up a mountain and down into a hole.

Interpretation According to me, when James Turrell thought of the idea to make an observatory to see the stunning occurrence of lights, he wanted the visitors to see what he sees and thinks of light. The use of the crater in the middle of nowhere shows his respect and interest in open space. The main idea of this installation to spread awareness about the natural yet out-of-this-world happenings of light. If I were literally, in the Roden Crater, observing lights, I would be in complete awe because the pictures of the work itself are very appealing. I would also think of the work as a completely different experience. The idea of being in a volcano, even if it is extinct, is frightening; James Turrell makes the experience a complete thrill because after all it is an artwork. Observing the lights will be extremely mind-blowing. When one actually visits the crater it will be real because from the pictures it seems abstract. If I were to explain this piece of art to someone, I would say: it is an exiting, innovative and contemporary art piece. I would also say that it relates to science because it is an observatory.

Bibliography James Turrell picture available from: Crater.jpg [Accessed on the 13th of November, 2011] Crater.jpg Picture of Roden Crater available from: denCraterAerial_0.jpg [Accessed on the 13th of November, 2011] denCraterAerial_0.jpg Information on Roden Crater available from: [Accessed on the 13th of November, 2011] Picture available from: [Accessed on the 15th of November, 2011]://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Roden.jpg/300px-Roden.jpg James Turrell picture available from: turrell.html [Accessed on the 15th of November, 2011]://c4gallery.com/artist/database/james-turrell/james- turrell.html Lights picture available from: art.fr/photos/GALERIE%20JAMES%20TURELL/james_turell_1.jpg [Accessed on the 15th of November, 2011] art.fr/photos/GALERIE%20JAMES%20TURELL/james_turell_1.jpg Roden Crater: M/SaeIXKoDw3I/AAAAAAAAAHE/NGCTg8Iq_IQ/s320/Turrell+Roden+Crater+NE.jpg [Accessed on the 15th of November, 2011] M/SaeIXKoDw3I/AAAAAAAAAHE/NGCTg8Iq_IQ/s320/Turrell+Roden+Crater+NE.jpg Roden crater picture available from: turrells-roden-crater.htmlhttp://earthworksnearyou.blogspot.com/2009/02/little-bit-on- turrells-roden-crater.html Image available from: [Accessed on the 15th of November, 2011]