the blog flume: Water

Water is an exhibition demonstrating a long lived and wide spread respect and appreciation for the natural resource. The work displayed celebrates water as a vital element, a sensory experience, and visually dynamic subject.

The show was organized in a thoughtful manner. The work was divided into themes, I.e. the physical states of water, and human interaction with water. This allowed the curator to juxtapose work that would have not otherwise been hung together. This provided new relevance to old paintings and allowed the viewer to develop a sense of progression of both artistic practices and the human relationship with water.

Although I appreciated the consideration behind this curatorial decision, I also found it slightly overwhelming. I would have preferred a more formal arrangement. Organizing the work by date, location, and medium would have allowed the viewer to see this progression more clearly. Also I found myself distracted by the close proximity of the works. I would have preferred less work and more space. The lack of space made it difficult to concentrate on individual pieces. A reduction in work and addition in space would have presented an opportunity to heighten the level of awareness and comprehension.

The imagery throughout the exhibit examines the many roles of water. The majority of work describes water as a vast, vibrant force. To contrast these images, I would like to bring together Ross Cisneros’s, Ice and Ark, Viacheslav Bylin‘s, Still Life with Glass, George A. Tice’s, Water Tower, Rahway, New Jersey, and Diane Neumaier’s, Fountains. This group of artwork shows the containment of water. They illustrate the human dependence and reliance on water. This body of work will bring up issues of the exploitation of water, privatization of public resources, maintenance of ecological balance, sustainability and availability of fresh water supplies, etc.