Art in the Twenty-First Century

Part 1 (of two) of this series profiling contemporary artists considers the concepts of place and spirituality. Places “are the jumping-off points of my imagination,” says performance artist Laurie Anderson, who introduces the first hour. Spirituality “is the thread that connects us all,” says actress S. Epatha Merkerson, who introduces the second. Among the artists profiled: sculptor Richard Serra, renowned for his steel-plate installations; photographer Sally Mann; and James Turrell, who works with light.