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James Turrell Photography

American, b. 1943

Emerging in the mid-1960s with the Southern California Light and Space movement, James Turrell (b. 1943) has devoted his career to artwork that challenges the limits of human perception. From his early experiments with geometric projections that transfigured space with light to the colossal decades-long undertaking of transforming an extinct volcano in northern Arizona into the immersive Roden Crater, he has strived to “create an experience of wordless thought” through his art.

An avid pilot as well as an artist, the Los Angeles native has long considered the sky to be his studio. Before creating his first light sculptures as a graduate student at the University of California at Irvine, he studied perceptual psychology and math at Pomona College. His practice has been an ongoing investigation of new techniques that would envelop viewers in light and color, whether through his research of optical phenomena related to sensory deprivation or his construction of complex architectural spaces that allow visitors to meditate on the materiality of light.

Most encounters with Turrell’s art are site-specific, such as his series of Skyspaces, which includes more than 80 chambers around the globe with apertures open to the sky. The shifts of daylight from sunrise to sunset make every moment in a Skyspace unique. To build his frequently monumental visions of space, light and color, he has also worked in far-flung corners of the planet, from the 1996 Celestial Vault — situated in an artificial crater in the Netherlands, where visitors can contemplate the contour where Earth meets sky — to the nine installations in the James Turrell Museum nestled in a remote vineyard in Argentina. Whether installations, prints, drawings, models or holograms, all of Turrell’s art has engaged with the wonder of light and how it shapes our observation of the world. 

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Creator: James Turrell
James Turrell Photograph of Roden Crater
By James Turrell
Located in Long Island City, NY
“Roden Crater has knowledge in it and it does something with that knowledge. Environmental events occur; a space lights up. Something happens in there, for a moment, or for a time. I...
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Late 20th Century American James Turrell Photography

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James Turrell photography for sale on 1stDibs.

James Turrell photography are available for sale on 1stDibs.
Questions About James Turrell Photography
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 16, 2024
    You can see James Turrell’s art in many places. Most encounters with Turrell’s art are site-specific, such as his series of Skyspaces, which includes more than 80 chambers around the globe with apertures open to the sky. The 1996 Celestial Vault is situated in an artificial crater in the Netherlands, where visitors can contemplate the contour where Earth meets sky. The James Turrell Museum in Bodega Colomé, Argentina, is home to the largest collection of his work. In the U.S., you can find Turrell's paintings in the collections of many major museums, such as the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Shop a variety of James Turrell art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    A James Turrell piece is an artwork created by the American installation artist James Turrell. His most famous pieces involve reflecting light in certain ways to produce geometric shapes and other effects. Find a selection of James Turrell art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 22, 2024
    Yes, James Turrell is a minimalist artist. The term refers to artists who work in Minimalism, a style that emphasizes simple abstract compositions, typically broken down into their most basic forms. Numerous Turrell works, such as Dividing the Light and The Light Inside, are good examples of Minimalism. Shop a range of James Turrell art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    American artist James Turrell is best known for his installation art and his work within the Light and Space movement. His experiential installations can be found in museums around the United States, but his greatest work of art is the yet-unfinished Roden Crater. This will be an entire space dedicated to his work with light and space. On 1stDibs, find a variety of original artwork from top artists.

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