James Turrell

James Turrell
James Turrell: The Wolfsburg Project
Markus Bruderlin, Richard Andrews, Annelie Lutgens, James Turrell,
Publisher: Hatje Cantz
ISBN: 3775724559 DDC: 709 Edition: Hardcover; 2010-03-31


p.67 "Light is a charged substance what we have a primary connection with. Situations in which you notice the presence of such a charged substance are fragile. I mold it... so that you can feel the presence of the light in the room."

p.80 "First of all I am not dealing with an object. The object is perception itself. Secondly, I am not dealing with an image., because I want to avoid any associative symbolic thought. Thirdly, I am not dealing with a special purpose or focal point, either. With no object, image or purpose, what are you looking at? You are looking at yourself looking."

p. 155 "My work is about space and the light that inhabits it. It is about how you confront that space and plumb it. It is about your seeing. How you come to it is important. The qualities of the space must be seen, and the architecture of the form must not be dominant. I am really interested in the qualities of one space sensing another. It is like looking at someone looking. Objectivity is gained by being once removed. As you plumb a space with vision, it is possible to "see yourself see". This seeing, this plumbing, imbues space with consciousness. by how you decide to see it and where you are in relation to it, you create its reality. The piece can change as you move to it or within it. It can also change as the light source that enters it changes." Turrell in conversation with Julia brown, 1985.