Light and space as experience: a study of the work of James Turrell, Olafur Eliasson, and perceptual phenomenology

This thesis sets out to explore the relationship of art, perception, and the public through the work of James Turrell and Olafur Eliasson. The text Art and Visual Perception by Rudolf Arnheim is used as a starting point behind the scientific theory of perception, specifically in the matter of light and space. Furthermore, writings of Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Edmund Husserl are analyzed in the context of perceptual phenomenology. The thesis looks at the history of the Light and Space Movement, Minimalism, and Relational Aesthetics. Two works of art by the artists are examined and compared for the artists' methodologies and applications of theory. They are then examined in the context of curating and how they stand in the eyes of the public.本论文旨在以詹姆斯·特瑞尔（James Turrell）与奥拉维尔·埃利亚松（Olafur Eliasson）的创作为切入点，探讨艺术、感知与公众三者之间的内在关联。本研究以鲁道夫·阿恩海姆（Rudolf Arnheim）所著《艺术与视知觉》作为感知科学理论的核心起点，尤其聚焦于光与空间维度的相关研究。此外，本研究结合感知现象学的理论语境，对莫里斯·梅洛-庞蒂（Maurice Merleau-Ponty）与埃德蒙德·胡塞尔（Edmund Husserl）的代表性著述展开系统性分析。本论文同时梳理了光与空间运动（Light and Space Movement）、极简主义（Minimalism）以及关系美学（Relational Aesthetics）的发展脉络。在此基础上，本研究选取两位艺术家的两件代表性艺术作品，就其创作方法论与理论应用路径展开对比剖析；随后结合当代策展的具体语境，探讨这两件作品在公众视角下的接受状态与意义呈现。