For me art has got to look good and or say something to me – preferably both. Given this criteria I am generally not seen as an aficionado of modern art and I certainly do not profess to be an expert thereon nor even understand ninety per cent of it.
James Turrell’s (US artist) most recent Skyspace (various around the world), entitled “Within Without” is a fantastic addition to the National Gallery. It looks great and I feel I understand it.
Does it say anything to me ? No, but that doesn’t matter. Do I know what Turrell was thinking or how he was feeling when he created this piece of art? No, and I don’t care. What I see, I love.
Within Without, one of Turrell largest and most complex pieces to date, is all about light and space and at its most basic is a viewing chamber which affects / accentuates the way you perceive / see light.
You enter the work via a sloping walkway to find a large square based pyramid and soft red ochre walls. A basalt stupa, highlighted by turquoise water, rises in the centre and inside that is the viewing chamber (or skyspace) open to the sky. Inside the stupa both movement and sound are intensified and the light is extraordinary. The skyspace is large enough for 24 people. Viewers sit on benches along the edge to view the sky through an opening in the roof.
I visited during the day and was mystified but apparently it’s even more fantastic at dawn or dusk – marking the transition between day and night – when light changes more quickly. Living in Canberra, I will go back for another look.
For the more artistic among my readers the National Gallery website states
“Turrell reveals the immensity of the natural world and the beauty of celestial architecture. Within without offers artlessness, simplicity, unhurried perception.”
Maybe so, who am I to argue?
Highly recommended to everyone – including artistic philistines (not that I imagine there would be any such within my readership!).
Viewing times
Open daily (outside the gallery)
During dawn and dusk there is a light cycle. View it any morning or evening. Duration varies from 30 to 45 minutes.
Arrive 15 minutes prior to start to ensure your eyes have adjusted.
Entry fee : Free
Address: National Art Gallery, Parkes Place, Parkes
Directions: Close to main entrance of the Gallery – you cant miss it.
Phone: (02) 6240 6411
Website: http://nga.gov.au/Home/Default.cfm
For my next CANBERRA – PARLIAMENTARY TRIANGLE SOUTH OF THE LAKE review click HERE.
For other Canberra reviews click HERE.
The Rambling Wombat 