AT 1812, THE CREATIVE LANDSCAPE IS SHAPED BY DISCIPLINES THAT EXPLORE SPACE, PERCEPTION AND ATMOSPHERE. AMONG THE MOST REMARKABLE ARTISTS WORKING WITH THESE IDEAS IS JAMES TURRELL.
JAMES TURRELL WAS BORN IN 1943 IN LOS ANGELES. HE STUDIED PERCEPTUAL PSYCHOLOGY AND MATHEMATICS BEFORE TURNING FULLY TOWARD ART. FROM THE BEGINNING, HIS WORK FOCUSED ON A SIMPLE BUT PROFOUND QUESTION. HOW WE EXPERIENCE LIGHT AND SPACE. RATHER THAN TREATING LIGHT AS SOMETHING THAT ILLUMINATES OBJECTS, TURRELL MADE LIGHT ITSELF THE SUBJECT. HIS INSTALLATIONS TRANSFORM ENTIRE ROOMS INTO ENVIRONMENTS OF SHIFTING COLOUR AND SUBTLE LUMINOSITY. WALLS DISSOLVE INTO SOFT GRADIENTS. HORIZONS APPEAR WHERE NONE EXIST. THE VIEWER BECOMES PART OF THE WORK.
HIS MOST AMBITIOUS PROJECT IS RODEN CRATER, THE TRANSFORMATION OF A VOLCANIC CRATER IN ARIZONA INTO A MONUMENTAL LAND ART INSTALLATION WHERE SUNRISE, SUNSET, MOONLIGHT AND STARLIGHT BECOME PART OF THE ARCHITECTURE ITSELF. FOR THE FOUNDER OF 1812, TURRELL'S WORK RESONATES STRONGLY WITH THE VISUAL LANGUAGE OF LANDSCAPE AND LIGHT EXPLORED THROUGH THE BRAND'S CAMPAIGNS. HE DEMONSTRATES THAT ATMOSPHERE CAN BE AS POWERFUL AS FORM. THE MOST POWERFUL EXPERIENCES OFTEN ARISE THROUGH SIMPLICITY AND PERCEPTION.
