Water, Water
The Church in Sag Harbor isn’t afraid of big themes. For last summer’s “Road Rage” exhibition, the focus was on the automobile, as reflected in the work of more than 20 artists working across disciplines.
“Empire of Water,” which will open on Saturday with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m., features 47 artworks by 44 artists, who engage with the theme of water in a variety of ways -- as a natural element, a scientific subject, a social justice issue, an ecological question, a historical factor, an aesthetic tradition, and a necessity for life on Earth.
“It is our hope that the audience, so familiar with this subject, will find works of art that surprise, impress, provoke, and amuse them in utterly new ways,” said Eric Fischl, co-founder of The Church.
The show features work by John Alexander, Doug Aitken, Ross Bleckner, Vija Celmins, Rineke Dijkstra, April Gornik, Robert Longo, Sally Mann, Clifford Ross, and Andy Warhol. It will remain on view through May 30.
Casting Spells
“Ages of Ages,” a solo exhibition of work by the Los Angeles artist known as L, is on view at The Ranch in Montauk through April 23. The artist has embedded charms, ritual accouterments, talismans, divinations, and offerings to the land into the wood-clad floors and walls of the venue’s West Barn.
The barn’s inner chamber contains nine "vessel spells," cast by the artist to “call forth interior and exterior transmutations and revelations,” according to the gallery. One, “Spell for interconnectedness with terra” (2022), is a two-foot tall Venetian glass vessel filled with pebbles and earth from The Ranch; Montauk ocean water, fire-charred wood, electrical connectors from the barn, Montauk trash, coins, and other objects and materials.
L is one of several contemporary artists cited in “Why Artists Have Been Enchanted by Witchcraft for Centuries,” a 2019 article that can be found on the Artsy website.
The Artistic Process
“Encounters With Artists: Insights Into the Artistic Process” will bring 10 East End artists to the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill to talk about their creative processes and inspirations on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The artists will present recent works and describe how they engage in their art.
The participants are Bill Albertini, Roz Dimon, Robin Gianis, Brianna Hernandez, Mary Jaffe, Setha Low, Scott McIntire, Anne Seelbach, Janice Stanton, and Tmima.
Tickets are $12, $9 for senior citizens, and free for members and students. Registration is on the museum’s website.
Palm Beach Modern
Chelsea’s Berry Campbell Gallery is attending the Palm Beach Modern and Contemporary art fair from today through Monday with a roster heavy with artists who have worked on the East End.
The gallery’s booth has work by the modern artists Mary Abbott, Alice Baber, Dan Christensen, John Ferren, Perle Fine, Grace Hartigan, Syd Solomon, Theodoros Stamos, and Esteban Vicente, and the contemporary practitioners Eric Dever, Susan Vecsey, and Frank Wimberley.
Shinnecock Storytelling
An open house community gathering, held in conjunction with the Southampton Art Center’s current exhibition “Outcropping: Indigenous Art Now,” will take place Friday evening at 6. The free event includes Shinnecock Nation storytelling, artists and community leaders discussing their work, and handiwork by Shinnecock artists for sale.
A dream-catcher workshop led by the Shinnecock artist Shane Weeks, set for Saturday at 3 p.m., is sold out.
