I'm Beginning to See the Light

Exclusively for Saturated Space, Jack Murphy delves into the world of Robert Irwin's chromatic emitters.

"Robert Irwin is an American artist from Los Angeles whose work deals with perception. Cacophonous, a show of recent light pieces at the Pace Gallery in New York City. Starting from the ready-made cool white fluorescent tube 6' or 8' in length, Irwin layers coloured gels—sometimes up to a dozen overlays—to manipulate, reflect, darken, or fully obscure the bulb's output. A visit to the show affords the opportunity to reflect generally on Irwin's use of colour throughout his career, and to dig deep into the rich chromatic experience of these works."