I have looked for inspiration for creating sculptural installations and James Turrell and Richard Serra are two artists whose work I find particularly interesting. I have also come across both of them within my research for my disseration in regards to the spiritual in the arts. Mark C. Taylor writes extensively about Turrell in his book 'refiguring the spiritual'.
Taylor's comments about Turrel:
"During an era when everthing and everybody seems to be on the move and reality is increasingly virtual, it is easy to forget that so-called real time is unreal and place truly matters. As globalization accelerates, the most radical gesture might be to slow down and stay in one place. It is not so much that vision takes- time- rather, vision, slowly cultivated, gives the time and place that form the worlds in which we dwell. As ancient myths and rituals teach, and Turrell understands, vision is an endless quest." Taylor, 2012.
This leads to my main interests in Turrell's work for how he approaches making artwork. Turrell does not try to manipulate or own his subject of light and instead to find the best ways to create an environment which allows you to appreciate it as it really exists.
“you create the world around you, but you are not aware that you are doing so. You generally do not see the light filling the space, we are not aware that the act of observing can create colour and space. But it is never ‘just’ an impression that you get, your eyes actually experience light as physically present, and present it is.” James Turrell
This leads back to a conversation I had with artist Ilana Halperin about the point at which a work of art which works with natural processes stop becoming nature and become a point of art. I feel Turrell's work responds to this discussion from a interesting perspective. His work of art creates an environment which is the main basis of his work of art through his artistic vision however the main subject he wants to present is light. This is particularly displayed through his 'Roden crater' work.
This leads to a contrasting perspective in Richard Serra's work. Serra's large scale metal sculptures of the 'Torqued ellipse' series which challenge viewers perspectives and emotions as the sculptures are intimidating and belittling yet beautiful in their curved forms. The large sculptures also encourage movement in and around the forms. It is this which has drawn me to Serra's work for how to create works and environment which effect the personal space and experience of the viewer to create a ambiguous experience. Though my sculptures are on a smaller sacle it is there forms and aesthetics which I aim to utilise to affect the viewer, rather than large scale which Serra uses.
"When you walk into a the room, you're not in a room with pieces in it, you're in the space of the pieces." Serra, 1997
