Three Gems by James Turrell — Attraction in San Francisco

This is the third Turrell Spyspace I’ve had the opportunity to view. It is very nicely secluded, but jeez is it hard to get access to. You can access the space through the outside sculpture garden gate as long as the museum is open. Unfortunately private events (like the one in the garden the first evening I tried to view it) block access to the public. Tried tried the second evening but once the museum closes at 5:15pm, access is also blocked. Finally saw it at 10am the next morning. It is sad that Turrell’s Skyspaces incorporate LED colored lighting to be activated during dawn/dusk so the viewer’s experience with light play from inside and outside the space is changed as they look through the ceiling opening. No LED lighting is activated (but it is present). Why the museum would commission this and then close nightly at 5:15pm hours before dusk makes no sense (unless you visit just before close in December). Hopefully in the future the museum to set some dusk viewing events so it can be viewed as the other...

I stumbled upon this thing while exploring the sculpture garden. It’s pretty secluded, the sign pointing you down a tunnel and through a roundabout where you find the entrance to this dome-shaped enclosure.

Looking at other people’s photos of this “skyspace”, it seems that there’s supposed to be colorful lighting inside, but it was dark when I visited. In addition, there were surveillance cameras in and around the structure, which was sensible but also made me a bit uneasy. I didn’t trust the cleanliness of the seating inside, either. There is a hole in the roof where you can look up at the sky, but there wasn’t much to look at with that fog in the way.

I wanted to know the meaning of it all when I walked out, but after reading the plaque, none of it stuck with me. Overall, maybe I just got unlucky and didn’t get to experience the art at its fullest potential, but I still didn’t find the Three Gems all that intriguing. If anything, it was kind of a...

It’s kind of hide in the garden of the young museum next to the restaurant and gives me the vibe of a gem from the secret garden, it was truly a nice experience. The way the artist plays with light and space is truly awe-inspiring. The open space allowed me to fully immerse myself in Turrell's artwork and experience it in a way that I never have before. The space creates a sense of calm and tranquility. It was almost meditative to spend time in there. I highly recommend visiting a James Turrell open space if you have the opportunity. It's a unique and free...