Current Exhibitions
- On view now
- MASS MoCA
Into The Light will be closed for restoration on Thursday, March 27.
Reservations are required for James Turrell’s Perfectly Clear and Hind Sight; there is no additional charge, but advanced reservations are required. Reservations are not required to view the other works on view in the exhibition.
In James Turrell’s hands, light is more than simply a source of illumination: it is a discrete, physical object. His sculptures and architectural interventions elevate our experience and perception of light and space. Squares of sky seem to float, suspended, in ceilings or walls; architecture disintegrates; and brilliant geometric shapes levitate in midair. Turrell began using light as a sculptural medium in 1966, painting the windows of his studio in Santa Monica to seal off the natural light and experimenting with projections. His practice has been shaped by the ongoing manipulation of architecture, framing and altering the way viewers engage with the environment. A pioneer in the Southern California Light and Space movement, MASS MoCA presents a multi-decade retrospective of Turrell’s work in B6: The Robert W. Wilson Building — with galleries designed and constructed specially to best accentuate his installations. C.A.V.U. is now open, joining Into the Light and making MASS MoCA the only North American institution offering a comprehensive overview of James Turrell’s career.
James Turrell’s C.A.V.U. (Skyspace) is open during museum hours with no reservations required. Reservations are required to experience C.A.V.U. at dawn or dusk, learn more here.
Further Reading
Timelapse of Ganzfeld construction, National Gallery of Australia, April 2015
‘It’s Not About Light—It Is Light’, ArtNews, September 2013
The Mind-Bending Science Of James Turrell’s Art, Popular Science, September 2013
The Quaker Meaning of Light (and James Turrell’s work), Helen Meads, 2014
Map of Turrell Skyspaces
You can download a PDF of the exhibition guide here.
Principal exhibition support is provided by The Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust, Elisabeth Roche Wilmers and Robert Wilmers, and Ann and Graham Gund. Major exhibition support is provided by Scott and Ellen Hand, The Henry Luce Foundation, George and Lizbeth Krupp, the Francis Greenburger Charitable Fund of the Jewish Communal Fund, George W. Ahl III, Goldman Sachs Gives at the request of R. Martin Chavez, and Hansjörg Wyss. Contributing exhibition support is provided by The Rosenkranz Foundation, Julie and David Tobey, and The Linbeck Group, LLC.
Breathing Light, 2013
LED Light into space, dimensions variable
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
photo by Florian Holzherr
© James Turrell