Meeting and Meditation

James Turrell rips the roof off MoMA PS1.

I wasn't aware that James Turrell had installed a long-term work at MoMA PS1.  If I had done my homework, I would have known that Meeting, one of Turrell's Skyspaces, opened to the public way back in 1986. Where have I been? And in 2016, the artist added a new multi-colored lighting program synchronized with the sunrise and sunset.

I've seen enough of Turrell's multi-colored lighting installations to know that they are nothing short of breathtaking, inspiring emotional responses that range from love to compassion to tears. So experiencing another installation with the artists mysterious visual splendor is very appealing. However, the light show is timed to coincide with sunset. Since I was there in the middle of the day, and I had tickets to a show later that evening, my schedule didn't allow me to stay for the full experience.

But the installation is open even without the lighting. So I paid a visit to the quiet room with its recently replaced stately seating and open, unobstructed view of the sky. I was the only person in the room. And on a chilly winter day, reclined on a relaxing bench, the perfect square of Queens sky was transformed, elevated to a cathedral celebrating place and environment; a sanctuary for introspection and meditation. The result was the same feeling that often accompanies Turrell's art: a calm love and respect for the world and the people around us.