12/28/13 “The Light Inside” James Turrell – Museum of Fine Arts, Houston | Color Conversations
Color Conversations
Woodbury University Fall 2010
“The Light Inside” James Turrell – Museum of Fine
Arts, Houston
September 16, 2010
([Link]
specific_installation_of_neon_light_gypsum_board_plaster_and_glass_by_james_turrell_1999_museum_of_f
As stated by Wikipedia, “Depth sensation is the ability to move accurately, or to respond consistently,
based on the distances of objects in an environment.” ([Link]
([Link]
And a little more scientific, “Human space perception is discussed in the context of the environmental
geometry around a moving eye. It is shown that the interpretive scaling of visual angle is a key factor
in size, distance, and motion estimation.” ([Link]
1296 ([Link]
The major reason for a lack of hand-eye coordination most likely comes from depth perception or
depth “sensation”. This apparently is the sense that one’s eye is linked directly to the movements of
one’s body, informing them where other objects are located as well as the surrounding environment
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12/28/13 “The Light Inside” James Turrell – Museum of Fine Arts, Houston | Color Conversations
elements (ramp, stairs, walls, etc). Without color, the eye seems to perceive surface as a continuous
plane, not allowing a differentiation of these elements. I am stuck between trying to decide if coming in
contact with a space that is monochromatic is distracting from normal bodily activities such as
walking, or whether makes an individual more conscious of their movements.
On one hand, you will definitely need to be more conscious of your movements, but it could be just
because of a lack of depth perception and after tripping multiple times, like i did when experiencing the
red level of the Seattle Public Library, your mind starts telling you to pay attention to your movements.
In this case, it would be an after effect and instinct to consider one’s movements through the space. On
the other hand, it can be seen that one is so conscious of their movements first and foremost, that it
becomes difficult to maneuver in such a space. In both scenarios, eventually the individual becomes
aware of their movements for some reason or another, which is the fascinating aspect of
monochromatic spaces.
This is thinking reminded me of artist James Turrell and his work that plays with depth perception and
perception of space. Just as a monochromatic space begs for attention in the definition of planes and
objects, his projects are often ambiguous in the lack of definition of where one object or plane begins or
ends, often making the installation beyond trippy, but utterly confusing to the eye, mind, and body.
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