Culture
“Water, Color, Paper” Opens At Zanesville Museum Of Art
By: Andy Near
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The exhibition Water, Color, Paper opens Jan. 18 at the Zanesville Museum of Art, featuring "watermedia," or water-based paintings from the museum's permanent collection.
Visitors can find the quintessential watercolor—a tranquil landscape or a beautiful floral—or a twist on the traditional.
American artists throughout the 20th century redefined the medium by expanding to new materials like acrylic, or by embracing abstraction.
The diversity and range of painting styles presented speaks to the versatility of the medium’s elements: water, color, paper.
The way each artist masterfully combined these elements determined the final outcome. Water softens the lines and colors that are absorbed into paper, lending character to an old country house.
Visitors will see how details can wash away, and others may marvel at the crispness achieved with a drier brush. Concentrated color from this malleable medium brightens by sitting on top of the paper in an opaque layer, showing us the delicate textures of the wood thrush’s feathers.
From somber mood to raucous noise, water, color and paper combine in precise harmony.
These works give a glimpse of the development of American water media in the past century. One can see the connection between John Marin’s European-inspired abstraction in the early 20th century and the profound impact made by Ohio artists painting in watermedia throughout the decades.
This exhibit of American watercolorists includes many from Ohio, and several with roots in and around Muskingum County, including: Jaunita Williams, Stanley Thompson, Anthony Dunlavy, Rogers Rusk, Vearl Wince and more.
Water, Color, Paper runs from Saturday, Jan. 18 through Saturday, March 22. Visit www.zanesvilleart.org for more information.