On November 6, UT’s Anthropology Department hosted its fourth annual visit to James Turrell’s Skyspace, The Color Inside. Begun as an informal gathering in 2022, the event provides an opportunity for faculty, staff, and graduate students to relax and enjoy the installation’s ethereal light sequence while listening to a themed playlist curated by Anthropology department members. The mood of this year’s event was serene and tranquil, as sounds including bird calls, French R&B, and Bob Marley filled the space at sunset.
“Our main office overlooks the WCP balcony and Skyspace, so I literally see it almost every day,” said Thomas Fawcett, the Anthropology Department Manager who has coordinated the event since its inception. “Even being so close, there are always people who don’t know what the Skyspace is or have never experienced the light sequence. This event offers a chance to experience it in a really unique and communal way.”
Communal it was. Nearly thirty guests lined the Skyspace walls or settled onto the floor, facing the sky. They shared glances with each other, engaged in hushed conversations with colleagues and friends, and gazed into the oculus¾the circular opening in the Skyspace ceiling. Others closed their eyes and listened in quiet contemplation. “We went with a nature-themed playlist this year. There is a lot of noise and chaos in the world right now and I thought a nature-themed playlist might help bring a needed moment of calm,” Fawcett said of their music selections for the evening. “The light sequence is such a visually stunning backdrop and the music pairs so well with it. I think they elevate each other, and the music adds a layer of depth and turns it into a multi-sensory experience.”
Part of the beauty of The Color Inside is the diversity of experiences one can have from night to night as the weather or environment changes. When asked about how this year’s outing compares to previous experiences in the Skyspace, Fawcett echoed this sentiment. “A few years ago, we held it on a rainy night which, of course, comes right into the room through the opening in the ceiling. It was a little cold and wet but singing along to ‘Purple Rain’ as the room glows lavender and raindrops splatter on the floor was a special moment,” he recalled. The sky was perfectly clear this year, and everyone was content to be warm and mesmerized by the clarity of contrasting colors in the installation.
It seems fitting that members of the Anthropology Department, who facilitate the study of human society and culture, are interested in enjoying a night of relaxation through art and, specifically, the Skyspace. Aside from the installation’s proximity to their offices, The Color Inside offers opportunities for connection between the people inside the installation and the nature that surrounds it. “Humans and our ancestors have been staring up at the sky in wonder for many thousands of years. You look up at that hole in the ceiling, and the sky appears to be a color you’ve never seen before,” Fawcett said of the connection between anthropology and the Skyspace. “Of course, it’s the same sky you’ve been looking at all your life, it’s just your perspective that’s changed. At its best, I think anthropology can change the way you see the world in similar ways.”