Monumental Light: James Turrell's Skyspaces

James Turrell is an artist whose palette is the planet we live on. He makes light monumental and encourages his audience to look 'beyond', to see the extraordinary in the every day.  

Originally inspired by his day-job as a pilot flying planes close to the edge of the earth's atmosphere and through intense weather systems over Tibet and Laos, he relentlessly explores the limitless 'into the blue' sensation of vertigo that flying vertically up brings. 

Part of this body of works are his 'sky-spaces', simple buildings (you can actually commission one for your home) with an aperture incorporated within the structure which opens onto a small section of sky. The interior is gently lit to subtly change colour. This alters your perception of the simple section of colour above your head, (orange makes blue stronger, purple weakens the blueness) The simplicity of the building and materials used in construction, combined with the calm sensation of just sitting contemplating the sky give these pieces a church-like quality of worshiping light.

I have been lucky enough to spend some time enjoying one of these spaces and I highly recommend the experience if you ever get the opportunity. Or if you can afford to have one built for you, do.