The Art Scene 09.01.16
Surface Library Returns
Surface Library, which operated in Springs from 2006 to 2011, will return to the hamlet for “D-Tour,” a Labor Day weekend exhibition to be held at Ashawagh Hall from Saturday through Monday. A reception is set for Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m., with music by Job Potter and Friends.
Organized by Bob Bachler and James Kennedy, the founders of Surface Library, the show will include work by Fulvio Massi, Maeve D’Arcy, John Haubrich, Ted Tyler, Joe Eschenberg, Barbara Groot, Mr. Bachler, and Mr. Kennedy. According to Mr. Bachler, the title implies that the exhibiting artists have deviated from their usual stylistic pathways for the exhibition.
The exhibition will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday from noon to 6, and Monday from noon until 8.
Gregory Johnston at Borghi
“Ultimate History,” a show of work by Gregory Johnston, will open at Mark Borghi Fine Art in Bridgehampton with a reception Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. It will continue through Sept. 24.
The exhibition consists of wall sculptures created from the parts of vintage racing automobiles. Mr. Johnston, who has 20 years of experience restoring vintage cars, transforms the parts into sculptural works that refer to the history and culture of racetracks.
Christopher French Solo
“An Alphabet of Sites,” an exhibition of new paintings by Christopher French, will open tomorrow at the Drawing Room in East Hampton and remain on view through Oct. 3.
For more than three decades, Mr. French has created Minimalist abstractions, often in series in which repetition of pattern was offset by brilliant variations in color. In his new work, symmetry has given way to pointed shafts of refracted color that surge across the canvas from distinct vortices like beams of colored light.
According to the gallery, “Layering pigment in thin veils, French moves from tone to color as the animated surface gradually transforms color and form into light and space.” Mr. French, who lives in North Sea, has exhibited widely and is represented in numerous public collections.
Barbara Groot at Kramoris
Abstract paintings by Barbara Groot are on view at the Romany Kramoris Gallery in Sag Harbor from today through Sept. 22. A reception will be held Saturday afternoon from 4 to 5:30.
Ms. Groot’s paintings draw energy from the sun and light of the East End, according to the artist, who grew up in Southern California. Active, bold brushwork, the layered use of color, and long, sweeping lines characterize her canvases.
Watercolors at Bridge Gardens
An exhibition of watercolors by Lois Bender is on view at Bridge Gardens in Bridgehampton through Oct. 2. “Flowers at Bridge Gardens” celebrates the abundance and variety of floral growth there. Ms. Bender, who has been painting and teaching watercolor at the site for four years, will be there on Saturdays. Fifteen percent of sales will be donated to the Peconic Land Trust, which owns and manages Bridge Gardens.
In addition, Ms. Bender will teach watercolor classes at the garden on Saturdays from Sept. 10 through Dec. 10, from noon to 3 p.m.
Joan Semmel in Chelsea
Alexander Gray Associates in Chelsea will open “Joan Semmel: New Work” next Thursday with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. The show will continue through Oct. 15.
The recent paintings and drawings by Ms. Semmel, who has a house in Springs, continue the representation of her own likeness as a site to consider the aging female body as an active, potent vessel for life and art. In the new work she applies saturated abstract colors in a variety of styles, sometimes in linear strokes, others in flat swaths of pigment. Her work continues to transcend traditional notions of scale and color.
Southampton Artists Show
The Southampton Artists Association’s annual Labor Day show is on view through Sept. 11 at the Southampton Cultural Center. A reception will take place Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m.
The exhibition includes photography, paintings, drawings, and sculpture. Gallery hours are Sunday through Thursday, noon to 4 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, noon to 6.
New Parrish Curator
The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill has appointed Corinne Erni as curator of special projects effective today. Ms. Erni comes to the Parrish from the New Museum in Manhattan, where she was senior producer of “Ideas City,” a collaborative arts initiative and internationally recognized biennial focusing on art and culture as essential to the future vitality of cities.
She also co-founded “Artport,” a global curatorial platform that commissioned, curated, and produced public art projects, exhibitions, artist residencies, educational programs, and publications, with a focus on art and climate change.
Born in Switzerland, Ms. Erni was educated in Milan and New York. She began her career in fashion design in Switzerland and New York before turning her attention to interdisciplinary arts programming.
Four at White Room
“Through Time and Space,” an exhibition of work by four artists, is on view at the White Room Gallery in Bridgehampton through Sept. 18. A reception will take place Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m.
Ellyn Tucker is showing collages created from fragments found in old books, letters, papers, fabrics, and photographs. Robert Tucker, a veteran of the film and graphic arts fields, creates detailed monoprints on handmade rice paper.
Joe Currie, who grew up in England, will show paintings that explore a split-second look into an object in motion, emphasizing speed and light. Gabriele Vigorelli’s canvases feature vibrant colors, abstracted figures, and complex geometric arrangements.