Three To See – Weekend of 08.03.12

DISPATCH - AUG 4, 2012 (12:30 p.m.)

HAMPTONS, NY

This weekend brings the annual Artists of the Springs Invitational, a beloved tradition in the Hamptons. Also on tap are solos shows by Ryan McGinness, Constantino Nivola (1911 - 1988) and Mary Ellen Bartley. Worth noting is an opening of an interactive video projection installation by John Carpenter.

Here are this week's THREE TO SEE selections of exhibitions worth noting:

• “Women: Sun-Stained Symbols" by Ryan McGinness - Glenn Horowitz Bookseller
• Constantino Nivola (1911 - 1988) and Mary Ellen Bartley - The Drawing Room
• "Artists of the Springs Invitational" - Ashawagh Hall

THREE TO SEE EXTRA:

• “Dandelion Clock” by John Carpenter - Silas Marder Gallery

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“WOMEN: SUN-STAINED SYMBOLS" - A SOLO SHOW BY RYAN MCGINNESS:

New works by Ryan McGinness will be revealed at Glenn Horowitz Bookseller. The art provides a window into McGinness's art making processes while tying distinct art philosophies together.

The show presents his “process drawings” and cyanotypes. Both focus on the female nude. A reception will be held tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. The show remains on view through Sept 4 at Glenn Horowitz Bookseller, 87 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, NY. www.glennhorowitz.com

The cyanotypes are blue and white photographic prints on paper made through by exposing the emulsified paper to sunlight for multiple hours. The cyanotypes are derived from McGinness's process drawings which incorporate chance, weather and heat into his artistic process.

The gallery described the cyanotypes on view this way:

"McGinness uses the physicality of the cyanotype medium to mirror the sensuality of his content: with a palette of deep blue and brilliant white, these languid nude forms evoke the sultry heat, bright light, and erotic charge of a seaside summer afternoon."

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McGinness's drawings "...compresses a series of discrete moments into a single image," according to an exhibition release.

McGinness begins by drawing from life. He then reworks the composition into a graphic rendering and refines it further to produce a "flat, diagrammatic representation," explains the gallery.

"The process drawings display an aesthetic affinity to Cubism, both in McGinness' reduction of form to an arrangement of simplified graphic elements and in his compression of time into a unified visual field," according an exhibition release.

The show remains on view through Sept 4 at Glenn Horowitz Bookseller, 87 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, NY. www.glennhorowitz.com

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CONSTANTINO NIVOLA and MARY ELLEN BARTLEY - THE DRAWING ROOM

Two concurrent solo shows are being presented at The Drawing Room. The exhibitions have an opening reception tonight from 5 to 7 p.m.

A solo exhibition of sculpture by Constantino Nivola (1911 - 1988) presents works made with marble, travertine, bronze, concrete and terra cotta.

The work exhibited "...explores, in scale and medium, the lyric figuration and cubistic form found in Nivola's monumental oeuvre."

The gallery explain his interests and influences further:

"Nivola had a keen, prescient interest in the possibilities of integrating sculpture and architecture and to this end he collaborated with architects Eero Saarinen, Jose Luis Sert and Marcel Breuer in making unique sand cast and carved cement bas-reliefs at the height of modernism.

In his three-dimensional sculpture Nivola drew on his childhood memories of Sardinia, his early years as a mason there, and the ancients."

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A solo show of photographs by Mary Ellen Bartley presents three recent series that present her collected books from various perspectives with different intents.

In each series, "Bartley reexamines the physical and metaphoric potential of her subject and creates nuanced color photographs that hover at the intersection of still life and abstraction," according to the gallery.

"Like trompe l'oeil paintings, Bartley's gentle use of light and shadow create an atmosphere of reflection, solitude, and intimacy that is reminiscent of Giorgio Morandi's minimalism or a John Frederick Peto still life," according to an exhibition release.

Both exhibitions remain on view through Sept 3. The gallery is located at 66H Newtown Lane, East Hampton, NY. www.drawingroom-gallery.com.

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ARTISTS OF THE SPRINGS INVITATIONAL:

“45th Artists of the Springs Invitational” opened yesterday and remains on view through Aug 19. The Invitational is steeped in area art history. The exhibition hails back to the days when Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) and Willem deKooning (1904-1997) took part in the gritty local art show.

These days, the names of included artists and the identity of the curator are anxiously awaited. The curator's identity is kept cloaked as long as possible to avoid undue lobbying. The curator selects the artists and the artist chooses the work to exhibit.

Art sales benefit the Springs Improvement Society (SIS), Ashawagh Hall and the SIS's Scholarship Fund. SIS is responsible for the care and upkeep of Ashawagh Hall.

This year's Invitational was curated by Christina Mossaides Strassfield, Museum Director and Chief Curator for Guild Hall Museum. A Curator’s Tour will be held on Aug 18 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

There are around 129 artists exhibiting in the show. Works include painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media.

One new tradition is Ashawagh Honors. Longstanding artists in the community are selected to recognize their longtime commitment and devotion to the arts. This year's honorees are Rae Ferren, Connie Fox and William King. Examples of their artwork are below.

The 45th Artists of the Springs Invitational is being held from Aug 2 to Aug 19 at Ashawagh Hall, 780 Springs Fireplace Rd, Springs, NY.  www.ashawagh-hall.org

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THREE TO SEE EXTRA:

I couldn't resist a call out for “Dandelion Clock” by John Carpenter. The interactive projection installation will be unveiled tonight with a reception from 5 to 9 p.m. at Silas Marder Gallery in Bridgehampton.

"Dandelion Clock" occupies the top floor of the gallery. The large-scale video installation projects a dandelion seeds floating in black atmosphere. When people (or objects) enter the installation, the dandelion seeds react to motions that impact their intended path.

"Dandelion Clock” is a new addition to the group exhibition “Past and Present” that opened last month. The show has been reconfigured for August to continue developing the theme. The gallery is located at 120 Snake Hollow Road, Bridgehampton, NY. www.silasmarder.com.

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© 2012 Pat Rogers and Hamptons Art Hub. All rights reserved.