Water

     On Friday September 10th I visited The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum in New Brunswick, NJ. From September 1st through January 2nd this museum will be hosting “Water”. Upon entering the gallery the first thing the viewer sees is a piece titled Ice and Ark, 2009. This work, by Ross Cisneros, is a wonderful contrast to the neighboring works. This large readymade is made up of water bottles in a net hanging from the ceiling. On the other side of the first area are five framed works by various artists such as Ando Hiroshige. These works are from various times and locations, and yet, they all have similar imagery related to water. This first area lets the viewer know that there are no limitations to the work chosen for this gallery, as long as they are related to the theme of water. The theme of water is such a simple concept, that what could be included is quite a broad range. This exhibit has taken advantage of this idea. There are works from all over the world done in many different mediums. From film, to sculpture, to actual water, this gallery certainly encompasses many variations on the theme of water. Some, such as Lynn Davis‘s Iceberg II, are quite literally about the stages of water. Others, like Bather by Hans Christiansen, are about human interactions with water and their shore lifestyles.
     At times the installations seem cluttered. Many works demand more space than they were given. Both of Maya Lin’s pieces should have had more space for observation. Dew Point 18 should have been in an area where the viewer could move all the way around it.
     Water is essential to all life. Water becomes a uniting idea between people, places, mediums, and time. This exhibit does a wonderful job of capturing this concept.