Color Into Light

By Luis Aceres

The various color techniques artists use in color blending can often have a compelling and inspiring effect. Pair any one single technique along with a shift or variation in lighting and you now get a much more defined effect. These ideas are the focus of Color Into Light: Selections from the Museum of Fine Arts Collection. This exclusive exhibition encompasses techniques and styles employed from the modernist era of the 1940s to today’s contemporary and modern pieces.
The show is presented in sections including a demonstration on how color and light can work in synergistic harmony, but also turn out to be each other’s culprit if employed inappropriately. Color Into Light will be open to the public through April 5 at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston located at 1001 Bissonnet St. in the Caroline Weiss Law building.
The series covers two very fundamental, but yet powerful forces: color and light and the art of combining the two to yield amazing effects. Approximately 100 pieces of work were showcased in the first series, including individual works by Carlos Cruz-Diez and Hans Hofmann.
“The museum has  been a most successful development in the last 25 years here in Houston and we are proud,” said Peter Marzio, MFAH director. “This exhibition gives us the opportunity to travel back to different aspects of the collection through this series of special exhibitions and workshops. These not only focus on art’s historical movements and changing trends but also address issues that are specific to artists and their work. We truly feel that this series of workshops and exhibition will provide all our visitors, artists or not, the opportunity to experience the evolution of color use in modern and contemporary works.”
The second section features work by Mark Rothko who truly pioneered and introduced his generation of artists to many styles and genres seen still today. Rothko always saw the color trapped deep within the canvas.  He felt that it was up to him and other artists of his caliber practicing the genre to bring out the light in order to define and sculpt the message that would flourish to a work of art.
Perception and illusion will be the topics addressed in the final sections of Color Into Light featuring the works of James Turrell. His work brings a new vision to the eye implementing projected light to create the illusion of something in a more tangible form.
“This is a wonderful event truly suitable for everyone,” Burns said.  
“For art enthusiast it offers various exhibitions including virtual and canvas form artworks. Artists of all genres and calibers can not only gain knowledge of theses techniques and see them employed in other interpretations but also revisit fellow pioneers in past eras.”
Burns, an artist and Tennessee native takes every opportunity available to travel in her spare time around the world to be a part of art exhibitions alike this one.
“It’s very refreshing, rewarding and in more than one way when I sit back and think about how I choose to spend my free time,” Burns said.  “It’s work but not work, at least for me it is.”