Skyspace

From a dark, curving hall, you entered a pale grey stone room filled with a diffuse natural light. You would recline on one of the cool stone benches, either sitting with your back against the sloping wall and your head tilted upwards, or perhaps lying down. Above, a square was cut from the ceiling. The fine edge of the frame made the sky appear more like a painting, often an unchanging blue, but sometimes grey or gently shifting with moving clouds. You could linger for hours, as other people came and left, enjoying the subtle changes of light around you.

The James Turrell Skyspace at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas closed a year ago due to the construction of a new building that infringed upon the view and dramatically altered the light conditions of the installation. These pictures were taken back in 2009, during my final visit to the Skyspace. Rather absurdly, I have no images of the ceiling.