Light, Space, and the Shape of Time

Light, Space, and the Shape of Time is rooted in the Light and Space movement that took shape in Southern California in the early 1960s. Pushing back against art movements of their time, these artists worked with everyday materials to create experiences that embodied a different understanding of our physical environment. From colorful sheets of hardened resin and acrylic, to mercurial glass sculptures, to neon and fluorescent lights pointing nowhere and to nothing, these works draw our attention to the transcendent play of shadow, atmosphere, surface, and texture as essential facets of the world, even at its most understated.

In addition to recognizing the forerunners of the movement, this presentation underscores the ongoing influence and progression of their ideas through two successive generations of artists. Importantly, it brings to bear recent breakthroughs in electrical engineering and optical and material physics, particularly by women, Latino, Asian American, and Indigenous artists. In this way, Light, Space, and the Shape of Time brings the conversation into the contemporary moment and acknowledges the specific and profound impact that New Mexico has had on artists from around the country. Apart from the state’s quality of light, varied landscapes, and wide-open spaces, they also frequently find here a profound spirit of experimentation.

Light, Space, and the Shape of Time will be on view at Albuquerque Museum from April 5 through July 19, 2025. This exhibition is organized by the Albuquerque Museum.

Image:

Neal Ambrose-Smith, Abstract in Your Home, 2009, glass tubing, neon gas, electrical elements, Albuquerque Museum, museum purchase. Photo: Claude Smith.