Opening Reception:
Thursday, March 5th, 5 - 8 pm

The Painting Center is pleased to host Water, an invitational exhibition of over 20 watercolors by 11 contemporary artists. The show explores a particularly intriguing aspect of the watercolor medium: its proficiency for depicting the characteristics of water itself – its transparency, depth, and liquidity. This show is the latest in a series presented by Watercurrents, an association of artists founded in 2003 that has organized several watercolor exhibitions at such New York galleries as Kouros Gallery and Lori Bookstein Fine Art.

As a physical medium, watercolor is merely the staining of paper with diluted pigments. This simplicity, however, belies not only its difficulty but also its expressive intensity. Indeed, its unique luminosity and immediacy is evident in images as diverse as Turner’s stormy seas and Sargent’s limpid Venetian canals. It is no coincidence that such watercolors – some of the most compelling examples of the medium’s traditional possibilities – depict the conditions of water itself.

This challenge is revisited by the 11 artists of Water: Nell Blaine, Lois Dodd, Phyllis Floyd, John Goodrich, Carolyn Harris, Louis Kahn, Arthur Kvarnstrom, Elizabeth O’Reilly, Susan Shatter, Kamilla Talbot, and Neil Welliver. Their subjects range from oceans and rivers to bathtubs and glasses of water. Their techniques vary from the meticulous to the expressionistic, and the scale of their images from the intimate to the panoramic. They all share one intention, however: the conjuring of the semblance of water, in the colored washes of its own substance.

In keeping with the water theme in the main gallery, the adjoining Project Room houses Early Lessons by Richard Chiriani. The painting depicts a family gathering food in an imaginary, primeval landscape. The source of sustenance and, metaphorically, knowledge ultimately come from the ocean, beside which they forage. This eternal and sustainable landscape is about to be disrupted by an ominous force observed by the female who looks into the sky. Early Lessons is accompanied by preparatory drawings and small painting studies for the final piece.

There will be a reception for the artists from 6 to 8 pm on March 5. Gallery hours are 11 am – 6 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, please call 212-343-1060. For more information on Watercurrents, contact Phyllis Floyd at 212-924-6153.

We hope to see you there!