Kanye West is in a giving mood to begin 2019. After spending some time with James Turrell in December, the Wall Street Journal learned on Monday (Jan. 14) that West has decided to donate $10 million to the American artist’s massive Roden Crater Project, which has been in the works since 1972.
Turrell, known for his mind-bending work with light and space, has been working to turn the extinct volcano located in Flagstaff, Arizona, into an observation center for his stunning visual art installations for more than four decades. Yeezy paid a visit last month and was taken back by the experience. “Went to visit the James Turrell crater two days ago. This is life changing. We all will live in Turrell spaces,” he tweeted.
The Chicago native went on to relay to the Wall Street Journal that he hopes the observations can be “experienced and enjoyed for eternity.” Turrell is said to be “thrilled” with West’s generosity “at such a critical juncture of the project.”
The 41-year-old had just been taking aim at Drake in another cathartic Twitter rant around the same time he was hanging with Turrell in December. If you recall, many believed that the 6 God ripped off one of Turrell’s light installations for his famed “Hotline Bling” visual in 2015. The video has more than 1.4 billion views on YouTube as of press time.
Went to visit the James Turrell crater two days ago. This is life changing. We all will live in Turrell spaces
— ye (@kanyewest) December 13, 2018