Water Floods the Zimmerli

Water is an element that is vital to the development of life and is rarely thought of in other contests, especially in visual art.  From ancient decorative vessels to Monet’s paintings of water lilies, the representation of water has always been apart of the visual arts and continues today.  Artists have always been enthralled with the scientific, symbolic, physical, and metaphorical characteristics that water has to offer.  These representations and others of the element can be seen currently in an exhibition, appropriately entitled Water, at the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum in New Brunswick, NJ.  Among the mediums included in the show are painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, mixed media, video, and sound.  This exhibition displays works from eighty artists from varying cultures and generations.  This number and the amount of works being shown should not be thought of as intimidating, but the opposite.  The viewer will not only have the opportunity to see water’s transition in art but how different artists see this particular subject.

Water opens with Ross Cisnero’s sculpture installation, Ice and Ark.  The piece consists of black netting hung by the ceiling containing bottles filled with water.  These mint colored bottles stand out against the cool, intense teal walls and make for an unforgettable first impression.  The atmosphere created by the installation is a mixture of intrigue and curiosity and should excite the viewer about what is to come.  Beyond this room is the rest of the show.  Because it is broken up into ten sections, the exhibition does not come off as being over whelming due to the quantity of art being shown.  All pieces are spread out and have easy access to be viewed.  Another obvious characteristic of the show are the colored walls.  Each section is a different shade of blue which fits the show very well, considering the main subject is water and these colors seem to compliment all the works that are shown.  Such attributes as the layout and the museum’s knowledge of the exhibition subject can make for an enjoyable visit.  With that being said, the Zimmerli definitely delivers and Water will make for a memorable experience.

On display until January 2^nd of next year, Water is an exhibition that captives the viewer from beginning to end.  With the quantity of all the works and colored walls, the show seems to go against the norm of minimal and subdued, which is typically seen and preferred in spaces that house art.  This change is not only a breath of fresh air but is should excite the viewer about the art that he or she are about to see.  When walking away, Water will leave any individual feeling informed, enthralled, and inspired.  

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(1) Nikolai Nikanorovish Dubovkoi,
Calm Befor the Storm, 1889-1890
Oil on canvas, 33 3/4 x 52 3/8 in



(2) Emma Amos, Diver (from the
Aquarium Series), 1987
Color silk collagraph with glitter,
39 3/4 x 31 1/2 in



(3) Phyllis Galembo,
Sodo, Haiti, 1997-2001
Photograph, 16 x 20 in

                                     

(4) Sally Gall, Evidence of Wind
(from the seires Between World), 1997
Gelatin silver print, 27 3/4 x 27 1/4 in



These are the four works that I would choose to curate in the show.  I believe that they show the physical and symbolic connection that humans have to water.  From the mysterious ocean, that a number of people find inviting and adventurous, to the relaxation of water beating down on your body, and the freedom one feels when swimming in an environment that is nonconformist, water is about the human condition.