21st Century Art Link

What fun Phoenix, nice look at what is happening in the now.

I bookmarked that site right away -- can't wait to see the series.

Phoenix THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

Atlan

Surprising in its simplicity, "Atlan" is a work that plays on viewers' sense perceptions. Entering a dimly lit room, viewers find what seems to be a deep blue rectangle or monochrome painting on the far wall. As one's eyes adjust to the darkened room, the blue appears to swell in color. Compelling for the way in which the color is evenly and luminously distributed, the viewer is drawn closer to the work for a detailed inspection. Inviting exploration, a surprise is in store for anyone who dares to reach out and touch the work. What at first appears to be a solid rectangle or drawing on the wall is actually an open window onto an empty, light-filled room. It is difficult to discern the volume of the second space, and viewers often reach through the window in an attempt to touch the opposite wall. This window in the wall is like a portal onto another world, providing a view of a limitless space like the ocean or a starless sky. The work's infinite view is ultimately the product of one's own sense perceptions, and the viewer becomes aware of his or her own beliefs and habits of looking.

The initial shock of sticking one's head through what seems to be a solid wall is soon replaced by disorientation and a sense of wonder at how the illusion is constructed. "Atlan" is one is a series of "aperture" or "space division" works that rely on a viewing space (for the audience) and a sensing space (the light-filled room). The wall that divides these two spaces is thin, making the depth of the window imperceptible from a distance. The sensing space is an empty room saturated with light, creating a visual field called a "Ganzfeld." Comparable to an arctic whiteout, Ganzfelds are visual phenomena where depth, surface, color, and brightness all register as a homogenous whole. The color seen through the window is variable, and the artist has made space-division works in red, pink, green, blue, beige, and gray. Turrell has also constructed room-sized Ganzfelds where viewers are able to walk into a space where the walls, floor and ceiling are seemingly blurred or absent. Proving to be somewhat dangerous - as viewers would lean on walls that didn't exist - Turrell designed works like "Atlan" to provide a window onto these naturally rare, psychological spaces.