Robert Irwin: Way Out West

In this exhibition, Robert Irwin, a pioneering artist of the “Light and Space” movement, continues his ongoing interest in the perceptual qualities of light, experimenting with rhythm, texture, densities, temperature and tonal relationships. Irwin wraps the fluorescent tubes in as many as 13 gels to achieve a range of hues, and vertically mounts the lights in groups. The sculptures are organized in heights of four, six and eight feet ranging from three to twenty-seven fixtures on the wall. These works are meant to exist in several different states, including the off position, dramatically altering the compositions, mood and atmosphere of the surrounding environment. In each state, chromatic relationships change, temperatures go from warm to cool and back again, and the quality of light in the room changes. For this exhibition, the work will be shown in both daylight and artificial light, with both environments playing a crucial role, creating a dialogue with the light that radiates from within the work. Light tubes reflect upon each other, and the spaces between them allow the adjacent colors to refract, producing a vast range of hues. The artist will determine the state that each sculpture shall remain in for the duration of the exhibition.