Art that curates sun, stars, and landscape
Every once in a while an artist comes along who manages to introduce entirely new ways of thinking about the world. James Turrell is one such artist. In 1974, Turrell discovered the crater as he was looking for a place to build a naked-eye observatory. A few years later, Turell purchased the land surrounding the crater and has made it his life's mission to transform its interior into a piece of public artwork where the “cycles of geologic and celestial time can be directly experienced.” Turrell designed the crater to give viewers a “transformative sensory experience.” In 1986, the Arizona Daily Star described the project as "transforming an extinct volcano into a techno-artistic Stonehenge."
The crater is nestled within an extinct volcano that spans two miles and rises 580 feet above the desert. The interior eventually will have a labyrinth of 24 viewing spaces and six tunnels, each with a distinctive view of the sky. One of the tunnels, a staggering 854 feet long, is nearly the length of three football fields. The artworks within are shrouded by the crater's natural exterior that seamlessly blends into the landscape.
Turrell's installation seeks to encourage viewers to contemplate light, time, the landscape through providing ways of seeing each and their interplay over time. It also serves as a naked-eye observatory for looking at the sky. Each of the vantage points is aligned with celestial bodies to create various light patterns and view specific astronomical phenomena. Unlike traditional architectural spaces, the tunnels and spaces within the Roden Crater are designed to manipulate, display, and ultimately be concealed by light and shadow. According to Turrell, light itself is his medium of choice.
Turrell's vision for Roden Crater includes creating an ecosystem for artists, astronomers, and visionaries to congregate, share ideas, and collaborate. To allow people to have extended visits, Turrell plans to build over thirty lodges near the crater. The installation is designed and built to last for thousands of years for countless generations to enjoy.
The crater remains incomplete and is only occasionally opened to the public, but its completion remains elusive. Gobbling millions of dollars from foundations and donors, the project may soon reach completion. In recent years, Kanye West who has donated ten million dollars to fund the project, and Arizona State University has taken an active role in providing funding and supporting the craters completion.
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