DISPATCH - JUN 22, 2012 (7:10 a.m.)
HAMPTONS, NY.
Artistic talents turned their attention to United States pride (or admonishment) in exhibitions opening this weekend. The Parrish Art Museum unveils two photography exhibitions on Saturday to conclude its exhibition schedule on Jobs Lane. In the galleries, two solo shows offer art commenting on other facets of American life.
The Parrish opens its final exhibition on Jobs Lane with a pair of photography shows. One show centers on New York City landmark buildings and the other on Long Island "landmarks." The former resents architectural gems; the latter shines a light on buildings that might easily be overlooked.
"The Landmarks of New York" presents 90 photographs depicting over 1,200 buildings in New York City at the Parrish Art Museum. The images were published in the book, The Landmarks of New York, Fifth Edition: An Illustrated Record of the City’s Historic Buildings (State University of New York Press - Excelsior Editions, September 2011).
The images exhibited at the Parrish include architectural notables. The images include portraits of the Woolworth Building, Rockefeller Center, the Plaza Hotel, the Brooklyn Bridge, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Subjects that are not necessarily icons are part of the show too. Among them is the Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House in Brooklyn. This is the oldest building in New York State, according to the exhibition release. Other buildings included are the Rockefeller Guest House; the Charlie Parker residence on Avenue B; and the Little Red Lighthouse in Fort Washington Park.
The book and the exhibition were organized by Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel. She is an author, television host, producer, preservationist and civic activist.
The exhibition opens on Saturday with a panel discussion at 6 p.m. (This is already fully reserved.) A public opening begins at 7 p.m.
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The Joseph Papp Public Theater. Courtesy Parrish Art Museum.
Bowne House. Courtesy Parrish Art Museum.
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Long Island scenes are the subject of a second show opening tomorrow night at the Parrish Art Museum. "Liminal Ground: Adam Bartos Long Island Photographs, 2009–2011" presents 16 images of Long Island buildings that may not necessarily attract attention.
Bartos is drawn to buildings and scenes that aren't typically noticed. His subjects, captured in art, often speak to the passing of time, according to the museum.
Both exhibitions remain on view through Sept 4.
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"County Road 80, Southampton, NY" by Adam Bartos, 2010.
"Montauk Highway Water Mill, NY" by Adam Bartos.
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Location-inspired art continues at a solo exhibition by Félix Bonilla Gerena held at Tripoli Gallery. The gallery is located directly across from the Parrish Art Museum. The exhibition, "Landscapes of Bajura" has its opening reception tonight (Friday, Jun 22) from 5 to 8 p.m. It remains on view through Jul 9.
The abstract paintings are colorful, filled with motion, and are filled with an unchecked joy for life. This mirrors the location that inspired the art: Jobos Beach, Puerto Rico. The spot was named La Bajuras by locals to describe the "utopian refuge" where tourists like to flock. Beckoning visitors are silky sands, crisp air, and vibrant colors of the landscape that combine to create a paradise, according to the gallery.
But where there's light, there can also be dark.
Gerena's work explores the folly of overindulgence that experiencing Eden can sometimes bring. Colors in his canvases are bright but suggest a "carnivalesque landscape" where Gerena's personal observations give rise to "cultural critique," according to an exhibition release.
"Coupling critique with glorification, Genera meditates on his own inherently kindred connection with his homeland with an unparalleled contemporary language," writes Tripoli Patterson. "Gerena's Landscapes of Bajura mirror the fanciful nature of this romantic, yet possibly unrealistic space with a palpable grace and spirit. His sweeping brushstrokes and gestural layers of paint capture movement and light that contextualizes not only his personal space but, perhaps, one that may exist within us all."
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"La Bajura Sunset" by Félix Bonilla Gerena, 2004.
"Flor de Maga" by Félix Bonilla Gerena, 2012. Mixed media on linen, 30 x 24 inches.
"Playa Jobos, La Bajura" by Félix Bonilla Gerena, 2006. Oil on canvas, 72 x 92 inches.
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In East Hampton, what it means to be American takes the forms of art atop flags. "Andrew Schoultz, Ex Uno Plura" (from one, many) is a snappy entry into Schoultz's current artworks. The exhibition title is a play on the United States motto, e pluribus unum (from many, one). The word play is designed to get the mind primed to see the art. It can be found at Eric Firestone Gallery in East Hampton.
There is an opening reception on Sat from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition remains on view through July 7.
The show features a series of mixed media paintings that get their start from authentic American flags--both current and historic. His art crashes graffiti, collage, cartography and medieval script with techniques pulling from woodcut printing, Ben-Day dots, Arabic calligraphy and Indian mural painting, according to an exhibition release.
The art is bold and doesn't compromise for the sake of polite conversation.
"Schoultz’s work captures the spirit of our world, drawing on the cultural clamor and restless vitality of dissenting voices, political wrangling and galactic alignment," according to the gallery. "Known for labyrinthine installations that defy categorization, Schoultz’s oeuvre is one of dizzying cultural commentary that expresses the urgency and perplexities of modern time."
For the show at Eric Firestone Gallery, Schoultz is creating a site-specific mural. Like the other works in the exhibition, the mural will be art and commentary using the nature of the American flag as muse.
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"Just Do It" by Andrew Schoultz, 2012. Acrylic And Gold Leaf On American Flag, 30 x 54 inches.
"Gold Drip" by Andrew Schoultz, 2012, Acrylic And Gold Leaf On American Flag, 30 x 54 inches.
""Eye" by Andrew Schoultz, 2012. Acrylic And White Gold Leaf On American Flag, 30 x 54 inches. Side view.
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BASIC FACTS: "The Landmarks of New York" and "Liminal Ground: Adam Bartos Long Island Photographs, 2009–2011" are on view through Sept 4 at the Parrish Art Museum, 25, Jobs Lane, Southampton, NY. http://parrishart.org/
"Landscapes of Bajura" - A solo show by Félix Bonilla Gerena is on view through July 9 at Tripoli Gallery, 30A Jobs Lane, Southampton, NY. www.tripoligallery.com
"Andrew Schoultz, Ex Uno Plura" (from one, many) is on view from June 23 to July 7 at Eric Firestone Gallery, 4 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, NY. www.ericfirestonegallery.com
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