RODEN CRATER/METEOR CRATER 07.07.11
In 1974 artist-pilot James Turrell received a Guggenheim Foundation grant to fly his aircraft in search of a perfectly round landform, one to further his investigations into experiential and perceptual art. Searching from Canada to Mexico he picked Roden Crater, a 3 mile-wide, 450,000 year-old extinct volcanic cinder cone northeast of Flagstaff, Arizona, one of several hundred inactive volcanoes in the nearby San Francisco Mountains. Since 1979 Turrell has been transforming Roden Crater into a large-scale work of art that functions as a naked-eye observatory, allowing visitors to view celestial, solar, and sky-light phenomena in the clear 5000’ air. It is not yet open to the public, though it has been rumored to be “just about” to open for more than a decade. Turrell is now 70 years old and his life’s work at the Crater is globally reknowned, despite having being seen by only a very few art-world cognoscenti, one of whom called it an “American Sistine Chapel.”
30 miles to the southeast of Roden lies the best-preserved meteoritic impact site on the planet. Privately owned by the Barringer family since 1903 and run as a tourist attraction, Meteor Crater is a mile wide and 570 feet deep. It is thought that a 150 foot wide, 300,000 ton, nickel-iron meteorite impacted the Earth 50,000 years ago at 25,000 miles an hour, releasing the energy of 2.5 million tons of dynamite -- or the equivalent of 150 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs. 175 million tons of rock were blasted from the impact site; similar meteoritic impacts occur about once every 6000 years on the planet. In 1950, the Barringers commissioned seminal modernist architect Philip Johnson to design a viewing pavilion on the Crater’s rim. While most of Johnson’s original work at the site has been destroyed, the altered portions of both Roden and Meteor Craters can be seen as architectural interventions in the service of celestial contemplation. Both, in their very different ways, are built platforms on the sublime.
Studio-made book of 24 aerial images photographed by Michael Light in July 2011. Printed on Epson Enhanced Matte paper using archival Epson Ultrachrome 3 pigment inks, adhered with archival Gudy 831 double-sided pressure adhesive. Archival stability well exceeds c-print standards. Dos-a-dos binding by John DeMerritt Bookbinding, Emeryville, CA. Edition of 10, signed on rear endpapers.
01. Roden Crater Looking South, Near Grand Falls, Little Colorado River, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
02. Roden Crater Looking Southeast, Double Cone Structure, Near Grand Falls, Little Colorado River, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
03. Roden Crater Looking North, Near Grand Falls, Little Colorado River, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
04. Roden Crater Looking East, Inner Cone Structure, Near Grand Falls, Little Colorado River, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
05. Roden Crater Looking West, Entrance to 854’ Alpha Tunnel To East Portal, Near Grand Falls, Little Colorado River, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
06. Roden Crater With Pickup Truck Looking North, Near Grand Falls, Little Colorado River, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
07. Roden Crater Looking Northwest, Visitor’s Lodge, Near Grand Falls, Little Colorado River, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
08. Roden Crater Looking North, Near Grand Falls, Little Colorado River, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
09. Roden Crater Looking Southeast, Double Cone Structure, Near Grand Falls, Little Colorado River, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
10. Roden Crater Looking Northeast, Near Grand Falls, Little Colorado River, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
11. Roden Crater Looking Southeast, Showing “Eye of the Crater,” “East Portal,” and “The Plaza,” Near Grand Falls, Little Colorado River, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
12. Roden Crater Looking Northeast, Near Grand Falls, Little Colorado River, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
RODEN CRATER/METEOR CRATER 07.07.11
In 1974 artist-pilot James Turrell received a Guggenheim Foundation grant to fly his aircraft in search of a perfectly round landform, one to further his investigations into experiential and perceptual art. Searching from Canada to Mexico he picked Roden Crater, a 3 mile-wide, 450,000 year-old extinct volcanic cinder cone northeast of Flagstaff, Arizona, one of several hundred inactive volcanoes in the nearby San Francisco Mountains. Since 1979 Turrell has been transforming Roden Crater into a large-scale work of art that functions as a naked-eye observatory, allowing visitors to view celestial, solar, and sky-light phenomena in the clear 5000’ air. It is not yet open to the public, though it has been rumored to be “just about” to open for more than a decade. Turrell is now 70 years old and his life’s work at the Crater is globally reknowned, despite having being seen by only a very few art-world cognoscenti, one of whom called it an “American Sistine Chapel.”
30 miles to the southeast of Roden lies the best-preserved meteoritic impact site on the planet. Privately owned by the Barringer family since 1903 and run as a tourist attraction, Meteor Crater is a mile wide and 570 feet deep. It is thought that a 150 foot wide, 300,000 ton, nickel-iron meteorite impacted the Earth 50,000 years ago at 25,000 miles an hour, releasing the energy of 2.5 million tons of dynamite -- or the equivalent of 150 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs. 175 million tons of rock were blasted from the impact site; similar meteoritic impacts occur about once every 6000 years on the planet. In 1950, the Barringers commissioned seminal modernist architect Philip Johnson to design a viewing pavilion on the Crater’s rim. While most of Johnson’s original work at the site has been destroyed, the altered portions of both Roden and Meteor Craters can be seen as architectural interventions in the service of celestial contemplation. Both, in their very different ways, are built platforms on the sublime
Studio-made book of 24 aerial images photographed by Michael Light in July 2011. Printed on Epson Enhanced Matte paper using archival Epson Ultrachrome 3 pigment inks, adhered with archival Gudy 831 double-sided pressure adhesive. Archival stability well exceeds c-print standards. Dos-a-dos binding by John DeMerritt Bookbinding, Emeryville, CA. Edition of 10, signed on rear endpapers.
01. Meteor Crater Looking West, Near Winslow, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
02. Meteor Crater Looking West, Near Winslow, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
03. Meteor Crater Looking Northwest, Near Winslow, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
04. Meteor Crater Looking Southeast, Near Winslow, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
05. Meteor Crater Looking East, Near Winslow, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
06. Meteor Crater Looking Southeast, Near Winslow, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
07. Meteor Crater Looking West, Near Winslow, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
08. Meteor Crater Looking Northeast, Near Winslow, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
09. Meteor Crater Looking East, Near Winslow, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
10. Meteor Crater Looking Northwest, Near Winslow, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
11. Meteor Crater Looking Southeast, Near Winslow, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
12. Meteor Crater Looking Southeast, Near Winslow, AZ, 2011
From Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 07.07.11; dos-a-dos binding artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
RODEN CRATER/METEOR CRATER 07.07.11
In exhibition Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco 2012
Roden Crater/Meteor Crater 2011