WATER IN THE GAS

WATER IN THE GAS features the work of 2022-2024 Hamiltonian alumni Misha Ilin, Madyha J. Leghari, Edgar Reyes, and Isabella Whitfield.

The title for the exhibition comes from Jean Dubuffet’s 1961 painting, Water In The Gas (L’eau dans le gaz), which lives in The Kreeger Museum’s permanent collection. It is said that the French phrase can be traced back to the early 20th century, when households used coal gas for electricity. High concentrations of water vapor would create obstructions in the pipes, resulting in pressure and creating small explosions. The expression is used when tension is rising in the atmosphere, or an argument is brewing.

In the same vein, this exhibition calls us to consider the ways in which socio-political pressures give rise to generational implications. WATER IN THE GAS places artists living and working in what is widely considered to be an unprecedented moment in US history, in conversation with artists whose lives and careers were impacted by some of the most defining power struggles of the 20th century.

Situated in the tumultuous geopolitical climate of 1934-1965, selected works from The Kreeger Museum’s permanent collection reflect themes of citizenship, censorship, industry, labor, and sovereignty. The paintings and sculpture range from Josef Albers’ geometric abstraction, to Max Beckmann’s representational work of children playing. Other featured artists include Fernand Léger, Joan Mitchell, David Park, and David Smith. 

Drawing upon current events and rising temperatures in the United States’ socio-political climate, Hamiltonian alumni point to what might be left behind for generations Z and Alpha—from fenced borders, radioactive rays, and class disparity to four-leaf clovers, indigenous relics, and obstetric illustrations etched in salt stone. Their contributed works move across sculpture, photo, textile, and installation. 

This exhibition is curated by Anisa Olufemi, Director of Programs and Curator at Hamiltonian Artists, and presented under The Collaborative, a program developed by The Kreeger Museum in 2021 to support Washington-area artists.

About The Collaborative

“We are thrilled to be in partnership with arts organizations across the city to present work of contemporary Washington-area artists. The Collaborative furthers our mission by supporting and spotlighting the immense talent of visual and performing artists in our city.”— Helen Chason, Director

Artists

Misha Ilin (b. Protvino, Russia) studied art at the National Centre for Contemporary Arts, Moscow, Russia. His interdisciplinary practice investigates constructed realities as forms of human, environmental response to excessive authority and control. 

Madyha J. Leghari is a visual artist, writer, and educator working between Lahore and Washington, DC. Her practice often revolves around the possibilities and limitations of language, and is often positioned in the indeterminate spaces of translation, cultural friction, and semantic lacunae.

Edgar Reyes (b. Guadalajara, Mexico) is a multimedia artist and educator based in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. Reyes’s work invites viewers to think about the people, places, and connections they carry with them. 

Isabella Whitfield (b. Centreville, VA) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Virginia, working primarily in sculpture and site-responsive installation. Her fabrication process adopts repetitive motions, testing physical endurance through mundane performative actions.