Water
The Water exhibition at the Zimmerli Art Museum exudes a presence that enlivens itself throughout the works of the show. The pieces invite the observer to ask questions about the purpose of water, the use of water, and the power of water. Encompassing prints, paintings, video, photography, sculptures and installation work, Water brings to life water; a basic need for humanity and for the planet. The show not only highlights the serine, calming nature of water, but also the way water shapes the human understanding of the world. Layers of meaning lurk beneath the surface of each piece of art, contrasting and complementing the works around it. Art of previous generations and centuries are brought to the present moment by work of the contemporary era.
Water surrounds onlookers as they walk throughout the exhibition, through small rooms, and big openings; weaving in and out of the walls, the pieces come alive as if the show itself is underwater—strong, peaceful, and thought provoking. Inquiries are made into ideas about water, such as, “who does water belong to?”, “is the use of water a human right?”, “what power does water have?”, and “how does water’s nature relate to human nature or the nature of the universe?” One video projection in particular, Always New, Always Familiar, 2000, created by Janine Antoni and Paul Ramirez Jonas, shines light on the character of water and what it brings to the human identity and journey. One large video projection of water moving as a boat moves forward through it, with a small video projection of water moving behind the boat, signifies a process, a part of life that every person on the planet experiences, the process of moving forward in life towards the future and leaving behind the past. The video creates a sensory experience that involves the mind into the waves and evokes the uncertainty, fear, excitement, and ferocity of change. Communicating the vision of the curator, Donna Gustafson, Water, takes the viewer to a new realm of possibility: changing the gallery space with color, placement, and lighting, as well as, bringing to life the exploration of the artist’s call to “earth’s most precious resource” (Water program 1).
Through curator Donna Gustafson’s talk about the creation of the
Water show, one can begin grasp the magnitude of forming such a complex and thought-provoking exhibition. It takes time to make choices about the number of artworks, about the color, mood, volume, medium, placement, and the span of centuries/cultures. Comprising works from all around the world (Haiti, America, Asia, France, and Russia, etc.), the curator embodied the nature of water’s presence all over the planet. Every place on earth relates to water in some way, as does each human. If I were to curate such a show, choosing four or five pieces, I would focus on a part of water’s nature that was not fully explored at the Zimmerli. The theme would be of the destruction of water by human means and the destructive power of water to humans and the world. Employing Atul Bhalla’s installation of water, glass cases, cast sand, and silt, called Immersions; Geoffrey Hendricks’, Waiting, with two scores, two class dishes and water; Ross Cisneros’ Ice and Ark installation of plastic water bottles, water, and fishing nets; Sally Gall’s gelatin silver print, Evidence of Wind, from the series Between Worlds; and Nikolai Nikanorovich Dubovskoi’s oil on canvas, called Calm Before the Storm. All of these works speak to the power of water and the profound effect it can have on society, culture, habitat, and livelihood. The dissolving of the silt and sand that was cast in Atul Bhalla’s installation as well as the scores slowly breaking down in Geoffrey Hendricks’ work create a contrast, but also a comparison to Ross Cisneros’ Ice and Ark, illuminating humanity’s part in dissolving a dwindling resource. The two final pieces, a photograph and a painting, ground the rest of the artwork, evoking the movement, power, and awe of water through a two-dimensional field. I found at times Water at the Zimmerli became a bit overwhelming, with the multitude of work in often enclosed spaces, but this great amount of work also allowed for artists to relate to one another, ideas to bounce between rooms, and themes to trickle like water beneath the surface, exposing humanity’s deep relationship to water in a passionate, serious, and peaceful note.
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| Geoffrey Hendricks Waiting, 2010 |
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| Atul Bhalla Immersions, 2008 |
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| Sally Gall Evidence of wind,1997 |
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Ross Cisneros Ice and Ark, 2009
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| Nikoli Nikanorovich Dubovskoi |
| Calm Before the Storm, 1889-1890 |
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