NEW LONDON, CT (PNAN) – On view at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum is an exhibition, “Chromatopia: Stories of Color of Art” that is about the history of pigments and dyes and their impact on art and culture through Sunday, March 5, 2023.
Most of us take for granted the dazzling array of hues available to us in everything we see, this exhibit tells the story of color and the search for ever more vibrant pigments as it ties into biology and human evolution, alchemy, philosophy, chemistry, exploration and colonial exploitation, language and cultural meaning-making and artistic expression.
Chromatopia features more than 30 objects drawn from the museum’s collection as well as from other museums and private lenders. Among the range of objects telling the stories of color from prehistory to the present are ancient Greek and Egyptian artifacts, late medieval illuminated manuscripts, 15th century Chinese ceramics, 17th and 18th century Flemish oil paintings, 19th and 20th century European and American paintings, and traditional Australian Aboriginal bark paintings.
Additionally, works by modern artists such as, Josef Albers, Richard Anuszkiewicz and Gene Davis as well as new works by artists using color in interesting ways, including Carson Fox, Patricia Miranda and Porfirio Gutiérrez are on display.
“Color inspires us, affects our mood and shapes what we see every day,” said Jane LeGrow, Lyman Allyn’s Director and Exhibitions and curator of the exhibition, which runs through March 5. “But what do we really know about color? This show offers some interesting answers.”
For more information on other current exhibits such as, America’s Instrument: Banjos from the Jim Bollman Collection see: www.lymanallyn.org.