The Art of Light + Space

Book excerpt: Ethereal, evocative, the art of Light and Space pushes the viewer beyond the everyday limits of perception. It takes many different forms and uses many different materials, ranging from natural daylight and scrim to glass, plywood, neon, and fire. It taps into far-ranging ideas and systems of knowledge, including alchemy, Buddhism, aerospace technology, witchcraft, astronomy, physiology, and phenomenology. Written by the foremost authority on the subject and based on more than two decades of research, The Art of Light and Space is the first book to provide an overview of this powerful and increasingly public art form. With rare photographs, extensive artist interviews, and her own insightful obversations, Jan Butterfield vividly documents the history of this diverse and sometimes elusive work. Following a useful introduction that succinctly places the art of Light and Space in the larger context of modern art, the book is divided into ten chapters, each focused on one artist: Robert Irwin, James Turrell, Maria Nordman, Douglas Wheeler, Bruce Nauman, Eric Orr, Larry Bell, DeWain Valentine, Susan Kaiser Vogel, and Hap Tivey. Insightful prtrait photographs by Jim McHugh open each chapter and capture the quirky individuality of these inexhaustibly creative men and women.The innovative graphic design emphasizes the artists' own words, both in sidebars and in the text, making their voices unusually accessible. The processes of creating the works seen here are as intriguing as the final results, and all are illuminated by the text, the illustrations, and the design of the provocative, invaluable volume.