The Luminist
Tradition in American Art is a rare and invaluable visual phenomenon to behold.
Of the many works featured in this exhibit two pieces recently acquired by
Crystal Bridges have set the bar at a new level: legendary painter Mark
Rothko’s “No. 210/No. 211” and “Sloan (Red) 1968” an installation by artist
James Turrel. Two artists working in two totally different mediums but joined
together through a common quest to present the sensation of light and color in
its purest form.
This compositional arrangement was typical for Rothko and
served as his playground for exploring infinite color combinations to create
heightened levels of perceptual awareness. What appears to be “a color” is
actually made up of many layers of colors that interact together to create optical
impressions. The theme of this exhibit covers a huge time span from the 1920’s
to the present day. One particular movement that occurred during this time span
was the Light and Space movement that began in the 1960’s.
Characterized by a focus on light, volume, scale, and the use
of industrial materials such as glass, neon light, fluorescent lights, and
other casting materials. The idea was to immerse the viewer by use of
installations creating conditions to encounter a perceptual phenomenon. The
“art” was no longer an object but could be something less tangible like pure
color.
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