William Griffis

Zimmerli Art Museum to Display Woodcut Prints from Helen Hyde, Bertha Lum
by Matt Smith - May 2, 2016

New Brunswick, NJ – The historic re-establishment of trade between Japan and Western nations in 1853 also greatly influenced art and culture throughout the second half of the 19th century. Exhibitions at museums and world's fairs introduced Asian artists and traditions in North America and Europe, where artists enthusiastically embraced subjects, compositions, and materials they rarely – if ever – had seen before. The Zimmerli Art Museum's new exhibition “Infinite Opportunities Offered in Color”:  Prints by Helen Hyde and Bertha Lum, on view through July 31, features 35 works by two American artists who, in turn, disseminated these artistic developments to audiences back home. Both artists spent considerable time living abroad in Asia and recognized the unique artistic possibilities for representing traditional aspects of life in an area of the world that was rapidly modernizing. They mastered complex color printing techniques and depicted aspects of Japanese and Chinese culture that essentially had been absent in the West. Because these artists generally are presented in survey exhibitions, this is a rare opportunity to view a significant group of works by either artist.“Infinite Opportunities Offered in Color” also complements other works on view from the Zimmerli's permanent collection, including examples of the Japonisme movement and a gallery that commemorates Rutgers' historic relationship with Japan.