Roden Crater Part 2

James Turrell, Roden Crater

"I make spaces that apprehend light for our perception, and in some way gather it, or seem to hold it. So in that way it’s a little bit like Plato’s cave. We sit in the cave with our backs to reality, looking at the reflection of reality on the cave wall. As an analogy to how we perceive, and the imperfections of perception, I think this is very interesting."

If I have any expectations for this I like to imagine lying in the crater on a bright sunny day, looking up into the blue sky above and seeing a perfect geometric form similar to all the flawless shapes I've ever seen in Turrell's work. I'd like to see a bird flying over or a cloud float by or maybe the trail of an airplane dissipating into the atmosphere. I'd like to come back with a story, a personal reference that completes the work much like the event that took place when I brought my class to The Light Inside at the MFAH and the person pushing his friend on the wheelchair looked up, was startled at the 28 people walking toward him, and dumped his friend over the edge into the artwork. I don't need to repeat that incident but something that will take away the elements of spiritualism and bring it back down to earth, something to remember it by besides the chills I hope to feel when I finally see the work I am most excited about.