Portraits of a Blue Planet in Seattle
Utagawa Hiroshige - Awa Province Naruto Whirlpools - 1855Kwakwakawakw Sea Chief - Seattle Art Museum
From 18 March to 30 May 2022, the Seattle Art Museum presents "Our Blue Planet: Global Visions of Water", an exhibition showcasing the many ways in which artists from around the world have depicted water and its role in human life.
Images: Utagawa Hiroshige, "Awa Province, Naruto Whirlpools" (Awa, Naruto no fuha), from the series "Famous Views of the Sixty Provinces" (Rokujuyoshu meisho zue), 1855. Seattle Art Museum ·· Anonymous, Kwakwaka'wakw, Mask of Ḱumugwe' (Sea Chief), ca. 1880. Seattle Art Museum
Menacing and wild in Hiroshige's prints, playful element in Adrienne Elise Tarver's pools. Home to legendary creatures, deity... Since ancient times, water has been present in the art of practically all the civilisations and cultures of the world. Therefore, an exhibition whose purpose is to show the "Global Visions of Water" is necessarily ambitious and, inevitably, despite the effort made to present a range of works from different periods and territories, it leaves out several of these "global visions" and many artists who have offered an interesting interpretation of water.
In any case, the nearly 80 works included in the exhibition "offer reminders of the great pleasures water provides while also turning to artists who help us face the impact of our species on the planet", in the words of Pamela McClusky, Curator of African and Oceanic Art at the museum. Some of the galleries include artworks that present a "classically artistic" view of water, such as "Oceans with Bodies Like Our Own" or the very playful "Pools of Pleasure and Reverence", in others the relationship with water is more indirect, such as "Tragic Memories of Global Trade", where two works by Marita Dingus recall the horrors of the slave trade across the Atlantic.
According to the Seattle Art Museum, “the artistic responses to water found in "Our Blue Planet" range from wonder and awe to anger and revelation, inviting viewers to learn, dream, and engage their empathy to create social and environmental change.”

Read the full article