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 Internationally Known Artist James Turrell Speaks on "Plato's Cave and the Light Within," March 12 
James Turrell, called "one of the most significant contemporary artists on the international scene" by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, will speak at Carnegie Mellon at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 12 in McConomy Auditorium in the University Center. Turrell's talk on "Plato's Cave and the Light Within" and his creative process is co-presented by the Mattress Factory, Carnegie Mellon's Center for the Arts in Society and the university's School of Art. "James Turrell gives quiet glory to the not-so-simple act of perception so that we may revel in a wonderful mix of apprehension, contemplation, recognition and admiration," said Susanne Slavick, head of the School of Art. A major exhibition of Turrell's work, "James Turrell: Into the Light," is currently on display at the Mattress Factory and will be exhibited there through April 30. The Mattress Factory exhibition includes a rare opportunity to view the largest variety of Turrell's work since his 1976 show at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.
The 300,000 year-old crater is located in Arizona, and Turrell's goal is to turn it into a natural observatory, as well as a place for viewers to question their own perceptions about light and space. This transformation has turned into a lifelong project for Turrell, who has excavated almost 1.2 million yards of earth in the 20 years he's spent working on it.
The Mattress Factory also has three permanent Turrell installations in addition to the exhibition. Turrell's lecture on March 12 will be followed by a reception. Reservations are not required for the event; however, please arrive early due to limited seating. For more information, please contact Andi Georgiana, assistant to the director of Carnegie Mellon's Center for the Arts in Society, at 412-268-5279 or abg@andrew.cmu.edu. About The Center for the Arts in Society The Center for the Arts in Society is a multidisciplinary research and education center that brings together scholars from the humanities, social sciences and arts who are interested in studies of culture and society, and the history and production of the arts. It is a collaboration between the College of Fine Arts and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. About The Mattress Factory The Mattress Factory is a research and development lab for artists that commissions new site-specific works in a wholly supportive environment for artists. Located on Pittsburgh's North Side since 1977, the Mattress Factory is hailed as the best facility for installation art in the United States. Children are always free, and Thursdays are free to adults.
For more information about the Mattress Factory and the museum's 25th Anniversary exhibition "James Turrell: Into the Light" please contact the museum at 412-231-3169 or visit www.mattress.org.
Laine Towey
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"Into the Light" also features Turrell's "Milk Run," "Unseen Blue," "Big Red" and "Danaë," among others. Each installation challenges the viewer's perception of light and shape. The exhibit also features "Gasworks," another major, interactive installation piece. "Gasworks" is a 12-foot fiberglass sphere that can only be entered by one person at a time. During a 10-minute display of colors and lights, the viewer experiences a Ganzfeld—a complete loss of depth perception.