Media and art people by the hundreds converged on the Guggenheim last Thursday for a preview of the hotly anticipated installation of works by James Turrell. The entire rotunda was given over to Aten Reign, and the space was completely reconfigured to screen off the spiral ramp. Sculpturally, the construction was soft [formed of fabric stretched over fiberglas armatures] and strangely enveloping.

The ground floor is ringed with steeply slanted benches so visitors can lie back to take in the light show, which cycles through a spectrum of shimmering colored light over an hour’s time.  A series of elliptical rings that capture the light seem to shift and change from a steep funnel to an almost pancake-flat plane as the colors gradate through a range from spooky white to lavender to persimmon through an almost charcoal glow.

Up one level is another star of the show, Turrell’s 1968 LED installation, Ronan. In the triangular High Gallery, a strip of wall has been excised to make way for a brilliant floor-to-ceiling shaft of white light that dematerializes the gallery space. Seen from a short distance, the piece creates an almost interstellar presence that is powerfully absorbing and disquieting. Also on view are two more early works, Afrum I (White), 1967 and Prado (White) also from 1967. In addition, there is an installation of sheets from the related etching portfolio First Light (1989–90) that explore how the aquatint technique can invoke qualities of radiance.

James Turrell, on view through September 25 at the Guggenheim Museum. 1071 Fifth Avenue at 89^th Street, NY, NY. Information.
Two short films on Turrell are being presented on a regular basis throughout the run of the exhibition. Information. Free with museum admission.
A mobile app James Turrell explores the artist’s technique, practice, and history. In these clips, Associate Curator Nat Trotman describes Turrell’s early works and Aten Reign, the site-specific installation that transforms the interior space of the Guggenheim’s rotunda. Download the app to access the entire guide. Free.

At MoMA PS 1, Turrell’s Skyspace, Meeting, 1986, is part of the museum’s permanent installation. Information.

Google Art Talk: Turrell TrifectaTuesday, July 9, 3 pm
As part of the Google Art Project’s new series of art talks, curators from the three concurrent James Turrell exhibitions on view this summer will be responding to crowd-sourced questions about the artist. The online discussion features NatTrotman, Associate Curator, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; Alison de Lima Greene, Curator of Contemporary Art and Special Projects, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and Christine Y. Kim, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Viewers can access the talk via Hangouts on Air on the Google Art Project’s Google+ page, https://plus.google.com/+GoogleArtProject/posts, and may submit discussion questions via the Guggenheim’s social media channels.

In Houston  James Turrell | The Light Inside continues at The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, The Law Building, second floor, 1001 Bissonet, Houston, TX. Information. Reservations available.

In Los Angeles James Turrell | Sooner Than Later: Roden Crater continues at the Kayne Griffin Corcoran Gallery, 2902 Nebraska Avenue, Santa Monica, CA.