Water Exhibit

1.  First and for most I thought the Zimmerli did an incredible job curating this show.  The color palette that the show gives of, differentiated as it is, still retains the general theme of blue and bluish tones throughout every piece.  That being said I was particularly interested with several of the sections within the show, such as the Men in Boats, Women in Waves section and the incorporation of vast amounts of  multicultural works.  The photographs of the Indian text by Bhalla created a really balanced section of the wall along with providing/representing water's ability to rust and deteriorate things like metal and manmade structure.  There were also several widescreen shots the occupied a very profound are of a wall that struck my eye.  The balanced style in which they are arranged is very reminiscent of film style framing and panoramic compositions.
The big standout to me thought was the Men in Boats, Women in Waves section of the gallery.  This section clearly and beautifully addressed the age old story of man versus sea (where sea is easily replaced by it's well known personification- women).  Countless stories have been written on this very subject.  Think mermaids who deceive pirates for treasure, or even Calypso, the water goddess, who captured Odysseus.  Many gorgeous and haunting images are dredged up when a beautiful girl is incorporated in a work about the unforgiving and treacherous sea.  I can really appreciate that juxtaposition of man and female and how they are different in that regard.  For instance mother earth is one with the elements where as man is usually depicted battling through the harsh storms and being brought down by the natures cruelness.  This is one of the reasons why the navy pieces work so well in this section of the show. Every single story that involves man and sea undoubtalby includes an inevitable battle between the two.  And men are usually ones to suffer in such a predicament.  More often than not.
This is not to say that female side of the coin is painted in a  negative light.  The femme fatale character is an archetype in all media, and is possibly one of the more interesting, innocent, attractive, and mysterious concept that can be included in a story.  It is tragic, yet comical to watch men being twisted and tied around a strong female character's finger as he makes a fatal mistake that will seal his fate.  At the same time it can presented in the vein that the female role does not really understand the trouble they are causing and are almost burdened with the power they hold.
All in all the show contained a lot of interesting are from across the board.  From old scrolls which convey the classic wave art that comes out of Japan, to conceptual "landscapes" contained in a box.  The show really put forth the idea that the amount of work that could be included in this show are as endless as the oceans themselves.

2. For my curated show I would first include the Immersions by Bhalla.  These intricate pottery like objects stirred up images of old greek civilization and dare i say it, thats right Atlantis.  They really provided a solid visual image of the way water interacts with technology and the human ways.  Next I would include the Untitled (U.S.  Fleet off of Japan) photograph by Sokov.  This picture really illustrates the idea of how the sea can be man's friend and enemy.  A reasonable route of travel can be become man's worst decision with the change of a whim.  These photographs also call for a small understanding of history and of the old WWII photographs and films that incorporated America's triumphs at sea.  I would also be compelled to include the Black Sea sculpture by Steichen.  Not only did it include Battleship-esc models that floated upright despite the tank's shaking water, but also included a beautifully crafted box that looked suspiciously like an island , completed with a map like label.  The vibrant color of the water is jarring at first, but adds an interesting shade to the thick plastic cases.  Also, the idea that the boats do not have a mapped out course or position and could be in any order, at any time while the piece is in show is a nice touch, considering the way an ocean works.  The last piece i would like to include in the show would be Privat- Livemont's The Wave.  This lithograph image is a very interesting way to depict women graphically and incorporates the flowing aspect of water, represented with her hair and drapery.  Even an octopus image is present in the hair, completely emphasizing the idea of the ghostly, beautifully haunting type of mermaid character.  I was especially drawn to this piece because of it's rendering.  The line and color approach is very typical to the printed type of comics that I tend to gravitate to.  All of these pieces span a large amount of mediums and spans far across the spectrum of imagery.  Again, not unlike the ocean.  Heh