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Arts & Culture

Acclaimed San Diego artist talks about making art out of light and space

For the Stuart Collection's Two Running Violet V Forms, artist Robert Irwin was drawn to the eucalyptus groves characteristic of the UC San Diego campus.
UC San Diego
For the Stuart Collection's Two Running Violet V Forms, artist Robert Irwin was drawn to the eucalyptus groves characteristic of the UC San Diego campus.

Acclaimed San Diego artist talks about making art out of light and space

Robert Irwin is the kind of artist whose vision of art is different from what you might expect. It can be hard, in fact, to describe the medium he works in. Most people say he creates artistic installations. Sometimes that means changing the architecture of a gallery. Sometimes it means installing an unusual pattern of lights or an extra wall. Sometimes it means punching holes in windows.

If you've been to the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, you've seen that. You stand in a room with a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. And you wonder, as you stand there, why are there are three square holes in the window that interrupt the continuity of your view and let in the whooshing sea air?

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Perhaps making you think and wonder is the purpose of Irwin's art. It's art that challenges your sense and your view of what art is.

Guests

  • Robert Irwin, internationally acclaimed installation artist who lives in San Diego. He is considered one of the most influential contemporary artists working today.
  • Hugh Davies, the David C. Copley director at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.