‘ColorMAD’ exhibit ends Nov. 21

The last day to see the "ColorMAD" exhibit at Western Washington University’s Western Gallery is Wednesday, Nov. 21.

The exhibition is free and open to the public.

The famed German writer Goethe described color as dangerous. He suggested that when philosophers saw red, they began to rant and rave as a bull in an arena; they became color mad. Such madness is central to the Western Gallery exhibition.

Patrons enter ColorMAD through an explosive threshold of color, just the first of many color experiences designed to engage the viewer in this hybrid exhibition. Featuring a range of media from prints and paintings to installation art and video projection, ColorMAD delves into an exploration of the dynamic world of color. The show is designed to encourage the viewer to participate in a variety of activities, such as listening to the colored tones of Machinefabriek, and invites them to become ColorMAD.

The majority of works in the show are from the Western Gallery’s permanent collection, as well as selections from the Washington Arts Consortium and the Whatcom Museum’s permanent collection. Featured artists include Robert Rauschenberg, Bea Nettles, Jasper Johns, Mark Tobey, William Eggleston, and Susan Rothenberg. Also centrally spotlighted are Geraldine Ondrizek’s chromosome paintings, a series of light boxes inspired by her desire to visualize genetic markers, and Dennis Summers’ video works and two color projections inspired by Steve Reich’s phase shift music.

In addition to works of art, the exhibition brings together departments from across Western’s campus, from the Physics Department to Instruction and Research at the Western Libraries. The exhibition moves beyond interdisciplinary as it aims to flood the viewer’s senses with color perception.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Wednesdays when the gallery is open until 8 p.m., and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. For more event details please visit http://westerngallery.wwu.edu/.