Highlighting modern American and European works from the museum's permanent collection, this exhibition considers not only the expressive language of color, but in particular how color carries the potential to alter our experiences—perceptually, emotionally, and spiritually.
Sponsored in part by the Illinois Arts Council, a State Agency
The installation focuses on several stylistic movements, including the German expressionist Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) artists who believed in the spiritual qualities of color, evoking a mystical significance through brilliant hues. Other artists, like the Color Field painters of the 1950s and 1960s, investigated the functions of pure color—how the placement of solid, flat areas of pigment can create both dynamic and subtle movement. Meant as an overview of different techniques and approaches to using color, the exhibition includes works by Karel Appel, Max Beckmann, Gabriele Münter, David Park, among others.
Curator: Kathryn Koca Polite
