0:00:17.520,0:00:26.530 (upbeat electronic music) 0:00:40.800,0:00:43.200 Turrell: Generally, we use light. 0:00:43.200,0:00:45.582 We don't really pay much [br]attention to the light itself. 0:00:52.560,0:00:54.320 That's my interest. 0:00:54.320,0:00:57.614 This fascination with light [br]and how we come to light. 0:01:01.608,0:01:02.986 Woman: When you really start to look, 0:01:02.986,0:01:04.592 then you sort of lose yourself. 0:01:04.592,0:01:05.233 Man: Yeah. 0:01:05.233,0:01:07.713 Woman: And that's when it [br]becomes sort of disorienting. 0:01:07.713,0:01:09.456 Man: Um-hmm. Ah.[br]Woman: Whoa. 0:01:11.176,0:01:12.640 Woman: It's sort of an escape.[br]Man: Yeah. 0:01:12.640,0:01:15.040 Woman: From everything that's above 0:01:15.040,0:01:16.880 with the bustling of the streets 0:01:16.880,0:01:18.720 and 'cause it's right under the street 0:01:18.720,0:01:21.580 and you wouldn't think it'd be so nice down here. 0:01:27.715,0:01:32.920 Turrell: I had this thought to just [br]bring the cosmos closer down 0:01:32.920,0:01:35.000 to the space where we occupy. 0:01:41.419,0:01:41.440 (peaceful rock music) 0:01:41.440,0:01:44.358 It's always something to work [br]with light in the outdoors. 0:01:48.120,0:01:50.480 I had spent seven months [br]flying in the western states. 0:01:50.480,0:01:52.560 And that was how I found Roden Crater, 0:01:52.560,0:01:55.758 which is on the western [br]edge of the painted desert. 0:01:58.400,0:02:00.200 You know, it had to sort of meet this criteria 0:02:00.200,0:02:02.080 of a certain height and it's nice 0:02:02.080,0:02:03.431 that it was away from other ones. 0:02:05.760,0:02:09.920 But I think the important thing [br]is just this kind of sense 0:02:09.920,0:02:12.334 of power that each space or each place has. 0:02:12.880,0:02:14.506 So, the place felt right. 0:02:18.200,0:02:21.400 And I wanted a bowl shape that [br]was raised above the plain. 0:02:21.400,0:02:23.600 That was important, so that you come up the space 0:02:23.600,0:02:27.120 and then you go through this [br]and you see the shaping of sky. 0:02:27.120,0:02:28.240 And then when you come out, 0:02:28.240,0:02:29.840 there's actually a shaping of Earth. 0:02:35.000,0:02:37.600 (plane motor running) 0:02:37.600,0:02:41.159 The crater is a wonderful example of blending 0:02:41.920,0:02:47.233 hard science, of physical [br]science, with art and vice versa. 0:02:48.800,0:02:52.880 Celestial events will be [br]apparent at the crater site 0:02:52.880,0:02:56.360 that you won't be able to [br]see and only be able to see 0:02:56.360,0:02:58.101 in few other spots on the earth. 0:03:06.400,0:03:09.360 To have a sort of new eight [br]and half minute old light 0:03:09.360,0:03:11.280 from the sun to feel it physically 0:03:11.280,0:03:13.231 almost as we taste things, 0:03:13.880,0:03:15.989 this is where you can work with light like that. 0:03:27.587,0:03:29.760 Also, I wanted to use the [br]very fine qualities of light. 0:03:31.040,0:03:32.480 I wanted to gather starlight 0:03:32.480,0:03:34.960 that was from outside the planetary system, 0:03:34.960,0:03:38.463 which would be older than our solar system. 0:03:39.560,0:03:40.640 And you can gather that light 0:03:41.640,0:03:43.280 and physically have that in place. 0:03:43.280,0:03:46.874 So, it's physically present [br]to feel this old light. 0:03:50.680,0:03:53.040 This is the opening to the crater. 0:03:53.040,0:03:55.154 So, it's an elliptical sky space. 0:03:57.080,0:03:59.720 The space is really 'take you up into the sky' 0:04:00.880,0:04:04.400 and certainly, the events [br]from the sky come through them 0:04:04.400,0:04:05.812 down into the crater. 0:04:08.320,0:04:11.430 So, this opening up into the [br]sky is something I really like. 0:04:18.863,0:04:20.863 (metal clanging) 0:04:20.863,0:04:23.940 I met Jim Turrell about 15 years ago. 0:04:26.000,0:04:28.936 Jim is a big thinker, thinks big. 0:04:30.880,0:04:36.960 He had an idea to point a [br]tunnel through the crater wall 0:04:36.960,0:04:40.640 to face the southwestern part of the sky 0:04:40.640,0:04:44.640 where the moon would appear every 18.6 years, 0:04:44.640,0:04:49.200 a cycle called the sorrows [br]or a lower lunar standstill. 0:04:49.200,0:04:51.960 The cycle of the moon has been known 0:04:51.960,0:04:54.720 since the days of the Babylonian records. 0:04:54.720,0:04:57.428 So it goes back eight, 10,000 years. 0:04:59.040,0:05:01.080 And you can actually see this, 0:05:01.080,0:05:04.720 the image of this down inside [br]the sun and moon space, 0:05:04.720,0:05:07.080 but then you'd have about 20 [br]minutes to walk up to the top 0:05:07.080,0:05:09.104 and actually see it set on the horizon. 0:05:10.224,0:05:14.485 (ethereal music) 0:05:19.784,0:05:22.717 But the strangest thing is that we have made real 0:05:24.240,0:05:27.000 an actual illusion that is when we camp out, 0:05:27.000,0:05:29.047 We think that the sun rises in the east, 0:05:29.920,0:05:31.080 or if we're at night, 0:05:31.080,0:05:33.600 it looks as though the stars come up in the east 0:05:33.600,0:05:36.240 and move over us and go down in the west. 0:05:36.240,0:05:38.160 Actually, we are turning the opposite. 0:05:38.160,0:05:40.280 We're on the earth that's turning opposite way, 0:05:40.280,0:05:41.818 but we don't feel that. 0:05:42.960,0:05:44.320 So in the north space, 0:05:44.320,0:05:47.080 I've removed all reference to horizon 0:05:47.080,0:05:50.320 so your field of reference are the stars. 0:05:50.320,0:05:52.320 And so what happens is you feel yourself 0:05:52.320,0:05:54.308 to be moving, almost tipping. 0:05:55.360,0:05:58.800 So if you're sitting back [br]in here, in this seat here, 0:05:58.800,0:06:01.800 you actually will see the rotation of the earth 0:06:01.800,0:06:03.781 and you can feel that. 0:06:25.320,0:06:29.240 James had a lifetime goal [br]of building a meeting house 0:06:29.240,0:06:31.355 that was really used as a meeting house. 0:06:31.960,0:06:33.680 So, when he heard that Houston wanted 0:06:33.680,0:06:36.160 to build a meeting house and was in the process 0:06:36.160,0:06:38.240 of doing that and raising money, 0:06:38.240,0:06:40.360 he offered to donate his art. 0:06:43.360,0:06:44.120 Well, for me, that was kind 0:06:44.120,0:06:46.173 of the meeting house I always wanted to see. 0:06:47.360,0:06:49.200 I mean, it's a very traditional form 0:06:49.200,0:06:50.252 except it's convertible. 0:06:51.080,0:06:54.600 The top opens and it makes the sky space 0:06:54.600,0:06:56.560 where sky is really brought down to you 0:06:56.560,0:06:57.841 in the space where you sit. 0:07:08.080,0:07:12.040 You're never quite prepared for what the light 0:07:12.040,0:07:14.960 is going to do to you and what the interaction 0:07:14.960,0:07:19.320 with nature and the sublime quiet will do 0:07:19.320,0:07:21.400 when you come into a place like this 0:07:21.400,0:07:24.281 and just simply slow down. 0:07:24.572,0:07:31.812 (ethereal music) 0:07:36.760,0:07:38.480 Being a lifetime Quaker, 0:07:38.480,0:07:41.600 we felt strongly that James [br]would not design anything 0:07:41.600,0:07:43.981 that was not appropriate for our worship. 0:07:45.884,0:07:49.920 We are hoping that our meeting [br]house becomes an ecumenical 0:07:49.920,0:07:53.081 place where people could find inner peace. 0:08:02.080,0:08:05.080 I think was maybe five or six and my grandmother 0:08:05.080,0:08:06.840 would begin taking me in and sitting me 0:08:06.840,0:08:07.840 in the Quaker meeting house, 0:08:07.840,0:08:09.298 and we would just sit in there together. 0:08:10.440,0:08:11.080 There's this time 0:08:11.080,0:08:13.720 when you no longer are in first day of school, 0:08:13.720,0:08:15.801 but you actually come and join the meeting. 0:08:18.040,0:08:20.880 And I remember I tried to, you [br]know, ask you my grandmother, 0:08:20.880,0:08:22.200 you know, "What, what are we doing? 0:08:22.200,0:08:25.240 What are, what am I supposed to do?" 0:08:25.240,0:08:27.680 And she said, "Just wait. 0:08:27.680,0:08:29.440 We're going inside to greet the light." 0:08:29.440,0:08:31.234 And I like that. 0:08:35.520,0:08:39.280 This idea to go inside, to find that light within 0:08:39.280,0:08:43.080 literally as well as figuratively and so 0:08:43.080,0:08:45.393 I was very interested in this [br]sort of literal look at it. 0:08:48.080,0:08:48.584 Of course, 0:08:48.584,0:08:50.630 I'm still trying to figure [br]out exactly what she meant 0:08:50.630,0:08:52.134 (laughs) 0:08:57.560,0:08:59.560 My daughter was born when I first had the idea 0:08:59.560,0:09:01.040 for the crater. 0:09:01.040,0:09:04.920 Went to college and university, [br]got her medical degree and 0:09:04.920,0:09:06.546 now is a doctor, and is married. 0:09:07.240,0:09:08.765 And I'm still not finished with the crater. 0:09:09.840,0:09:11.926 So, I've gotta get along [br]here and get this thing done. 0:09:22.248,0:09:23.920 (footsteps) 0:09:23.920,0:09:24.840 To keep the crater, 0:09:24.840,0:09:28.240 I had to go get a loan from farm credit 0:09:28.240,0:09:30.440 and really get involved in ranching 0:09:30.440,0:09:33.880 'cause they wouldn't loan money on vacant land. 0:09:33.880,0:09:36.520 So suddenly, I have a one million dollar mortgage 0:09:36.520,0:09:38.640 and this is not interesting to my wife. 0:09:38.640,0:09:41.580 And she felt I was mortgaging [br]our children's future. 0:09:42.767,0:09:44.562 (horse neighing)[br]Did you hear that buddy? 0:09:45.099,0:09:47.099 (galloping) 0:09:47.182,0:09:49.613 James: We run almost separate operations. 0:09:50.240,0:09:52.480 The cattle are my department 0:09:52.480,0:09:55.400 and the new art is his department. 0:09:55.400,0:09:56.280 Payday's once a year. 0:09:56.280,0:09:58.278 It's in the fall when you sell the calves. 0:09:58.278,0:09:59.440 Jim: Good boys. Good boys. 0:09:59.440,0:10:02.840 And things can go pretty well [br]or they can go pretty sour 0:10:02.840,0:10:06.354 depending on the price of cattle at that time. 0:10:09.220,0:10:11.220 Jim doesn't stay real happy 0:10:11.220,0:10:12.320 when the price of cattle's low. 0:10:12.320,0:10:13.619 Well, imagine that (laughs). 0:10:17.515,0:10:20.520 Jim: People often ask me [br]how much this crater costs 0:10:20.520,0:10:22.360 and you know, it costs made two marriages 0:10:22.360,0:10:23.750 and a relationship. 0:10:27.400,0:10:28.040 Those are the places 0:10:28.040,0:10:32.160 where you feel the greatest [br]discouragement as you see, 0:10:32.160,0:10:34.280 it's sometimes hard for others to follow 0:10:34.280,0:10:37.280 what you think is the natural course of things 0:10:37.280,0:10:38.977 and how to get something done. 0:10:50.880,0:10:52.040 If you look at the horizon, 0:10:52.040,0:10:55.520 it's a milky, cloudy type of view, 0:10:55.520,0:10:57.520 but as you go higher in the sky, 0:10:57.520,0:11:02.640 the sky becomes a uniform blue, maybe with clouds. 0:11:02.640,0:11:05.440 But if you can be in a well so to speak, 0:11:05.440,0:11:07.400 or in a crater like Roden, 0:11:07.400,0:11:12.301 you see no contrast with the [br]depth of the sky and your view. 0:11:13.040,0:11:16.240 So you realize its closeness. 0:11:16.240,0:11:20.920 And sometimes if you're conscious enough, you can, 0:11:20.920,0:11:23.658 you'll discover that you're in the atmosphere. 0:11:24.240,0:11:27.200 You're not separated from the sky at night. 0:11:27.200,0:11:29.920 And even during the day you have this feeling 0:11:29.920,0:11:32.441 that you're one with the universe. 0:11:37.680,0:11:38.680 You know, when you read a book 0:11:38.680,0:11:40.600 you're often so involved in the space 0:11:40.600,0:11:41.720 generated by the author 0:11:41.720,0:11:44.640 that whatever happens in front of you disappears. 0:11:44.640,0:11:45.360 People pass by. 0:11:45.360,0:11:47.160 You don't even notice them. 0:11:47.160,0:11:48.520 So you've paid the price of admission 0:11:48.520,0:11:50.000 and you've entered that space. 0:11:51.040,0:11:53.000 A lot of people come to art and they look at it 0:11:53.000,0:11:55.400 and this is one of the [br]problems in contemporary art. 0:11:55.400,0:11:57.967 And so, they don't actually enter the realm 0:11:58.280,0:11:59.680 that the artist was involved in. 0:11:59.680,0:12:05.640 We have a little more of a [br]distance there and the situation 0:12:05.640,0:12:08.880 of the journey to the place like Roden Crater. 0:12:08.880,0:12:11.760 The fact that you actually [br]have to do some thing or some 0:12:11.760,0:12:14.840 involvement to have this come over you, 0:12:14.840,0:12:16.320 you have to quiet 0:12:16.320,0:12:19.560 and it actually makes this experience, 0:12:19.560,0:12:21.508 I think, much stronger.