The Church in Sag Harbor presents its spring exhibition “Empire of Water,” which opens on March 27. Given the effects of climate change, the global need for clean water, and the specific issues on the East End, the topic of water is timely and important.
The show includes 47 artworks by 44 artists in a variety of mediums including painting, photography, sculpture, and digital work.
“The theme of water is depicted as a natural element, a scientific subject, an issue of social justice, a historical factor, an ecological question, an aesthetic tradition, a metaphor, and a simple necessity for the existence of life on Earth,” read a statement for the exhibit. “From the plentiful resources it provided to Native Americans before first contact to the area’s maritime history — which includes colonization and slavery — in addition to the area’s long-standing tradition of agriculture and the current economic importance of the ocean and beaches as the motor of the region’s tourism industry, fresh and salt waters have defined the historic communities on the East End of Long Island since their inception.”
The exhibition brings together established and emerging artists in the area with artists from across the globe. Their artworks represent and use the theme of water in a myriad of ways. Artists like Doug Aitken, Linda K. Alpern, Reneke Dijkstra, and Sally Mann address its place in leisure. Daniel Beltra, Scott Bluedorn, Edward Burtynsky, Liza Lou, and Andy Warhol find beauty, horror, and humor in the realities of pollution. Tonico Lemos Aud, Cappy Amundsen, Paton Miller, and Duke Riley reflect on the traditions of those who live by the sea. John Alexander, Ross Bleckner, Jim Campbell, Vija Celmins, Thornton Dial, April Gornik, Lawren Harris, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Longo, Clifford Ross, and Hiroshi Sugimoto create compelling images of waterscapes.
Eric Fischl, cofounder of The Church, said of the exhibition, “Water, water everywhere is what you will see when you visit ‘Empire of Water.’ We’ve pulled together 44 artists who have found a wide range of creative and surprising ways to express aspects of our complex relationship to this liquid which covers most of the earth’s surface and dominates so much of our history of exploration, commerce, conquest, and survival. This magical and mundane substance has occupied the creative and spiritual imagination since man began to make images and sounds. It is our hope that the audience, so familiar with this subject, will find works of art that surprise, impress, provoke, and amuse them in utterly new ways.”
An opening reception will be held on Saturday, March 26, from 6 to 8 PM. The show will be on view through May 30.