The line in front of the Guggenheim was not moving and the sun was beating down but as soon as we adjusted to the scene on the sidewalk they let us all in. James Turrell has taken over the entire atrium and reworked the spiral center as undulating lopsided concentric circles of LED light. Bo Poulin told us we “must lie down” so of course we did and it was a better perspective. Your perception of depth gets lost and you are not sure what you looking at. A virtual drug experience for a clean and sober generation.
Turrel had work throughout the museum but what exactly was the work? In many cases there was only intense light, carefully projected onto walls or into corners so you felt as though you were seeing three dimensional forms or the reverse, portals to another world. I was blown away with a series of aquatint prints that Turrell had in one of the side galleries on the second floor. The white shapes in the drawings appeared to be backlit and three dimensional.
Leave a comment