The Art Scene: 03.23.17
Reception at Halsey Mckay
The Halsey Mckay Gallery in East Hampton will hold a reception for its two current exhibitions, “Ted Gahl: Beaumont Sur Mer” and “Joshua Abelow: Miss You,” on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m.
Mr. Gahl’s paintings investigate the fine line between abstraction and figuration. He employs both the gestural mark and the figure, and he has stated that an interest in painting itself, rather than a definitive style, is at the core of his practice.
Mr. Abelow’s paintings and drawings, in his own words, “mock the idea of the artistic genius.” His simple yet loaded imagery often includes geometric forms, stick figures, and words, all of which look satirically at his own career.
The exhibitions will continue through April 8.
Art Exhibition
At Watermill Center
An exhibition of watercolor paintings and prints by William Stewart will open at the Watermill Center on Saturday afternoon with a reception from 2 to 4 and remain on view through June 14.
During his residency at the center, Mr. Stewart is developing a new series of monoprints. Originally from Texas and now based in New Mexico, he has allowed the unfamiliar landscape of the East End to inform his new works, which also mark a shift from the figurative to the abstract.
The center will offer tours of the facility from 1 to 2 p.m. and a performance by Physical Plastic, also from 2 to 4. All programs are free, but advance reservations are required.
Gallery Talk
At Southampton Arts Center
Bastienne Schmidt, the artist who organized the exhibition “A Sense of Place” at the Southampton Arts Center, will be joined by other artists from the show for a free talk and gallery tour on Sunday at 3 p.m.
The exhibition, which reflects the different ways 11 South Fork artists explore the idea of space, will remain on view through April 9.
RJD Gallery to Reopen in Bridge
RJD Gallery, whose space on Sag Harbor’s Main Street was destroyed by the December fire there, will reopen Saturday in a new, 3,000-square-foot venue on Main Street in Bridgehampton with “Urban Revival,” a group exhibition. The opening reception will take place Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. with art, cocktails, and music.
The show includes paintings by Margaret Bowland, sculpture and paintings by Alfred Conteh, assemblages and paintings by the Jamaican artist Phillip Thomas, and mixed-media works by Jules Arthur. Paintings by Arcmanoro Niles and Drew Ernst will also be on view. Mr. Thomas, Mr. Arthur, Mr. Niles, and Mr. Ernst will be present at the opening to talk about their work.
According to the gallery, the works have come together “from across urban lands to create thought-provoking expressions in a contemporary vision of revival, from the African-American experience to narrative moments of introspection.” The show will run through April 18.
Members Show Deadline
Guild Hall has set Sunday at 5 p.m. as the deadline for registration for this year’s Artists Members Exhibition. Walk-in registrations will not be accepted.on. Walk-in registrations will not be accepted.
Dawn Watson Photographs
“Natural Abstractions + Landscape Loves,” an exhibition of photographs by Dawn Watson inspired by nature on the East End, will open tomorrow at the Montauk Library with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. and continue through April.
The 18 works in the show feature two types of images: broad and expansive landscapes, and extreme, almost abstract close-ups of objects found in nature, the latter a departure from her previous work.
New at Roman Fine Art
Roman Fine Art in East Hampton will present “Gentleman’s Game: Safe Houses,” a collaboration between Brandon Friend and Jason Douglas Griffin, tomorrow through April 23.
Working together as Gentleman’s Game since 2011, the artists explore recurring themes of mythology, technology, history, and mortality. In “Safe Houses” they depict a refuge in larger-than-life trees that can be colonized by those seeking higher ground in a dystopian future.