SKYSPACE

A Skyspace, coined by Arizona artist James Turrell, is a simple elegant viewing chamber with benches along its walls and an opening in the ceiling. Influenced by his studies in perceptual psychology and optical illusion, Turrell is known for working with light and space to orchestrate installations that he calls Skylights, Skyspaces, and Perceptual Cells. Ideally, a Skyspace should be seen during multiple visits, at different times of day, and in different seasons. Dawns and sunsets are dramatic, with the aperture waxing from indigo to turquoise, or waning from bright blue to orange to black. What unfolds next is the illusion that the architecture of the space slowly vanishes as it becomes saturated with light and color, making it appear infinitely deep and closer to us—an effect Turrell refers to as “bringing the sky down.” In this treat for the senses, the artist seizes a universal concept—perception—and presents it's most individualistic, personal nature. With heads tilted up and eyes fixed on the sky above, visitors can simply sit, relax, and experience the extraordinary.

There are currently 36 Skyspaces in the world. Nine of the 20 in the U.S. are open to the public.

Skyspaces frame the sky as pure color and show us "the changing light of the sky, altering what we see with our own eyes." Skyspaces allow us to see the sunset (and sunrise) as never before. At those times it seems the sky has come closer, as if we can can reach out and touch it. Turrell says his work provides the opportunity to "look at our own looking." By doing so Turrell grounds us in the present moment and reconnects us to the world we inhabit. As Turrell puts it, "we are dwellers at the bottom of the ocean of air. We create the color and shape of the sky. It does not exist outside the self."

Installed in 1988 and located on the CCA campus, the Skyspace (Blue Blood) is currently closed.