Art in 2011

DISPATCH - Dec 31, 2011 (3:07 p.m.)

HAMPTONS & NORTH FORK, NY

2011 was a great year for art! Of course, on the East End of Long Island, pretty much every year is a great year for art. Installation and outdoor sculpture seemed to be particularly prominent this year. Here's a sample of some of the works installed during 2011:

OUTDOORS

DALE CHIHULY

The renowned American glass sculptor created two outdoor installations for LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton. They were unveiled, with much fanfare, during LongHouse's summer benefit, "White Hot and Blue," held on July 16. Chihuly is a lifelong friend of LongHouse founder Jack Lenor Larsen, and the installations were made to celebrate LongHouse's 20th anniversary.

.

.

MEL KENDRICK

Playful squares of colored concrete gave a new look to the grounds of the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton. "jacks" by Mel Kendrick was installed in July. Their arrival was timed to the Dorothea Rockburne solo exhibition inside the museum. Kendrick was a former art assistant to Rockburne.

Each of the four pieces in "jacks" is 11-foot high and made of concrete cast in bands of black and white. Kendrick's work is concerned with "process, space and geometry," according to the Parrish Art Museum. Kendrick's work is held in numerous museum collections. He is represented by Mary Boone Gallery. For the installation experience, see Hamptons Art Hub post, "New Sculpture Arrives at Parrish Art Museum."

.

.

ALEXIS LAURENT

The French-born artist created an installation specifically for artMRKT Hamptons. "BILLBOARD, 2011" was a U-shaped wall containing more than 600 steel boxes providing homes for over 1,000 plants with 10 different forms of succulents. Windows encouraged interaction with the art. The slogan, "We need to think outside the box more than ever" was painted on the "back" side of the work.

Laurent's work is concerned with integrating art with urban settings and the ways art can improve the quality of life in cities, he said. "BILLBOARD, 2011" is a "fantasy of a billboard by a highway delivering a message about the environment with its array of flora," Laurent stated. The artist is based in San Francisco, CA. He was represented at artMRKT Hamptons by Leila Heller Gallery.

.

.

MIKE HANSEL

Two sculptures by Mike Hansel of Rhode Island were selected for the 2011 Brecknock Hall Outdoor Sculpture show. The rough textures and nod to industrial assemblage are part of the beauty. So is the understated sense of whimsy.

.

.

INDOOR-OUTDOOR

BRYAN HUNT

Sculptor Bryan Hunt's work was part of a two-person exhibition at Guild Hall in East Hampton in late June and July. Organic and modern, Hunt's art is inspired by his quest to "capture water as a found object and sculptural element," according to New York City's Department of Parks & Recreation. Sculpture is typically made from molten metal to simulate arrested water, according to a press release.

Moreover, Hunt's art is more typically installed outside. Smaller works in clay by Hunt were exhibited at The Drawing Room in East Hampton in conjunction with the Guild Hall exhibition. After the Guild Hall show closed, several of the major works from his "Waterfall" series were installed at Park Avenue Mall in Manhattan. Ten sculptures were on view from September through mid-November.

.

.

DON SACO

Saco was another sculptor who had indoor and outdoor installations in 2011. Inside, Saco's work was exhibited in a solo show and as part of a group show at the Levitas Center for the Arts at Southampton Cultural Center. Outside, Saco's work was part of the Brecknock Hall Outdoor Sculpture Show in Greenport. Taken together, the indoor and outdoor installations offered a mini-retrospective of Saco's work. He is based in Water Mill.

.

.

INSIDE

CHRIS DUNCAN

The California-based artist had a solo exhibition in July at Halsey McKay Gallery in East Hampton that presented his eye-catching art to its full advantage.

.

.

BEN BUTLER & MICHAEL ROSCH

A pair of sculptors teamed up to create an interactive installation at the Silas Marder Gallery in Bridgehampton. The result was "Architecture of a Bomb." The installation was extended into a four-month run. (See Hamptons Art Hub post, "Architecture of a Bomb using Spare Parts.)

.

.

JUDITH MOTZKIN

Motzkin unveiled an installation of ceramics, rope and sea-tossed materials in August in the group exhibition “About the Sea” at the South Street Gallery in Greenport. The group show united Long Island and New England artists addressing    "...the elemental, poetic, practical and other-worldly aspects of the ocean." It was curated by Kate Ledogar of Boston.

“Wash Ashore” by Motzkin occupied an angular swath of the gallery. The installation was made up of six ceramic installations. While the pieces look like shells, they are actually ceramic. Motzkin included flame-print and smoke ceramics in the installation. She is based in Cambridge, MA.

.

.

MOST UNUSUAL

STEVE ZALUSKI'S Rolling Sphere

I first saw Zaluski's rolling steel sculpture at the chanting-music event, "Harmony of the Spheres" at Channing Daughters Winery in Bridgehampton on June 21. Zaluski climbed inside the round sculpture and rolled it among Walter Channing's sculptures permanently installed on the grounds.

Zaluski's rolling sculpture, most often the "Humansphere" artwork, made guest appearances at "Love and Passion 6" exhibition at Ashawagh Hall in East Hampton on Feb 12, 2011; at ArtHamptons in Bridgehampton in July; during the July opening of the group sculpture exhibition "Uncommon Grounds II" at Bridge Gardens in Bridgehampton and at the Karyn Mannix Contemporary group exhibition, "Eleven" at Ashawagh Hall on Nov 5.

Zaluski's inhabiting of his steel sculpture is performance art, he said. Zaluski often plays harmonica while roving around in his 7-foot artwork on the streets or in grassy fields. He is based in Ronkonkoma, NY.

.

.

Happy New Year! Thanks for a great 2011.

________________________________________

© 2011 Pat Rogers and Hamptons Art Hub. All rights reserved.