I wanted to deal with light directly rather than with paint.
James TurrellRead
All art is contemporary art because it had to be made when it was now.
Interpretation
Art is rooted in its own time; it reflects the current moment of its creation.
This quote by James Turrell emphasizes that all forms of art are fundamentally tied to the moment in which they were created. Each piece emerges from a specific cultural, social, and historical context, thereby marking it as contemporary to that time, regardless of when it is viewed in the future.
In practice
In an art gallery discussion, one might use this quote to illustrate the relevance of historical context in evaluating art.
I wanted to deal with light directly rather than with paint.
It is only when light is reduced that the pupil opens and feeling goes out of the eyes like touch.
I feel that I want to use light as this wonderful and magic elixir that we drink as Vitamin D through the skin - and I mean, we are literally light-eaters - to then affect the way that we see.
In many cases, if we knew what it would take, we might have thought twice about it, so it's often wonderful that we don't have hindsight.
There are different stages when you fly. The first stage is the dollhouse effect, seeing everything on Earth like it's a model. Suddenly, all of your concerns seem very small.
Space has a way of looking. It seems like it has a presence of vision. When you come into it, it is there, itβs been waiting for you.
I always thought I'd eventually learn how to draw really well, and despite constant evidence to the contrary, I just kept on trying. If you're too good at anything, you don't have to think about the process, whereas I feel like I spend my life with my head under the bonnet, trying to understand how everything works.
I collect my tools: sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing, intellect. Night has fallen.
Art is an expression of joy and awe. It is not an attempt to share one's virtues and accomplishments with the audience, but an act of selfless spirit.
Type well used is invisible as type, just as the perfect talking voice is the unnoticed vehicle for the transmission of words, ideas.
Not every song I write is ecstasy. And it can happen only one time. After that, when you sing the same melody and words, it's pleasure, but you don't get wiped out.
As artists, we have an opportunity to help the public evolve, raise consciousness and awareness, teach, heal, enlighten and inspire in ways the democratic process may not be able to touch. So we keep it moving.
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