Roden Crater, 1986
Topographical model with text and photographs in Philippine mahogany box
7 x 32 ½ x 23 ½ inches
Artist Quotes:
“It is a volcanic crater located in an area of exposed geology, the Painted Desert, an area where you feel geologic time. You have a strong feeling of standing on the surface of the planet.” jamesturrel.com/roden-crater/roden-crater/introduction/
“I wanted to use the very fine qualities of light. I wanted to gather starlight that was from outside the planetary system, which would be older than our solar system. You can gather that light and physically have that in a place so that it’s physically present to feel this old light.” Art21 Interview about Roden Crater
Additional Links:
Roden Crater website includes information on Turrell’s ongoing Roden Crater project. This page includes basic information about the location and geology of Roden Crater, how Roden Crater relates to Turrell’s overall artistic practice, and the project’s state today.
Roden Crater introduction by Michael Govan discussing the effects of light at Roden Crater.
Artist website including four video interviews. Two of the videos are dedicated to the discussion of Roden Crater.
Art21 Interview with James Turrell, excerpt about Roden Crater
California Landscape into Abstraction Research 