James Turrell: Within Without

Within without is a major Skyspace by American artist James Turrell, one of his largest and most complex to date. Light is Turrell's medium, and his Skyspace is a viewing chamber that affects the way we perceive the sky. Commissioned by the National Gallery, Within without is located in the Australian Garden on the south side of the building. Visitors enter the work via a sloping walkway to find a large square-based pyramid and soft red ochre walls. A basalt stupa, highlighted by turquoise water, rises in the centre, and inside that is the viewing chamber open to the sky. Within the Skyspace, light seems more painterly. Within without is at its most dramatic and complex at dawn and dusk, marking the transition between night and day. In asking us to take the time to notice these subtleties, Turrell reveals the immensity of the natural world and the beauty of celestial architecture. Within without offers artlessness, simplicity, unhurried perception.