As a neuroscience major, I fell in
love with James Turrell’s work with light and perception at the LACMA.
Turrell’s exhibits primarily worked with light and how we our brains are able
to perceive it as an actual physical, tangible object.
Like many of the artists we have
encountered this quarter, James Turrell’s work has be greatly influenced by his
love for science. In particular, Turrell incorporates the complex nature of the
human brain’s ability to perceive. He uses its actual incorrect ability to perceive
to his advantage and creates work of art that leave the viewer believing that
light is a tactile object.
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| This is an example of Turrell's work with light taken from the brochure the museum provided. |
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| The light seemed to show a 3- dimensional , touchable box, but upon closer look, it is evident that there is actually a hole in the wall where the light is shining. Senses deceived! |
Turrell has
also worked extensively with “Dark Spaces”, which are his projects where there
is an absence of light. I was fortunate enough to get to experience this at the
museum. I first entered a dark corridor, using the left wall as my guide. I
then realized that I had been placed inside a dark room. I could hear other
people speaking softly, and eventually my eyes came to adjust to a very dim incandescent
bulb. It was an interesting experience because I could never really fully
adjust to everything that was going on in the room- the other people, the size
of the room etc. What I took away from the experience was how poor our
perception really is, yet how dependent we have become on it for experiencing
everyday life.
The epitome
of my experience at the James Turrell exhibit was the Ganzfield. I had the wonderful opportunity of being able to step in
to a room that was saturated with a single colored light. This light-unless
someone steps in your way- completely fills your entire field of vision, and
the walls ambiguous and the room seems ever-expanding. The experience was mind-altering, and it is
difficult to describe unless you yourself experience it!
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| Photos were not allowed of the Ganzfield room, but here's one from online. <http://architecture.mapolismagazin.com/james-turrell-ganzfeld-piece-wolfsburg> |
I would
highly recommend this exhibit to anyone interested in how our brains perceive
light, anyone who is willing to have their definition of light turned around,
and anyone who has an open mind to doubting their senses for a bit of time.
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| The lovely "shoes" I was provided before entering Ganzfield. |
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