New Year, All New Conversations At The Parrish

Extraordinary art almost certainly evokes an emotional response. It also tells a story. And when that extraordinary work is juxtaposed with other exceptional pieces, the narrative evolves into a fascinating conversational thread, as it has at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill.Celebrating its first-year anniversary in its new location, the museum has outdone itself by completely reinventing the landscape, and the conversations between the works on view. A strong narrative thread flows from piece to piece, wall to wall, and gallery to gallery. The result is remarkable, unique and not to be missed.

The permanent collection has been reinvigorated, as nearly every single piece of the 85 works on view are new to the exhibit. And the “Artists Choose Artists” exhibit—featuring seven jurors, 14 artists and 65 works of art—is equally fresh. All 150 works will be unveiled during a public “Anniversary Weekend Celebration,” starting Saturday, November 9, with a private reception for museum members to be held on Friday, November 8.

The exhibits on view—“Esteban Vicente: In The Company Of Friends,” “Poets And Painters,” “Changing Views: Painting As Metaphor,” “Dennis Oppenheim: Splash Buildings” and “William Merritt Chase:

Portraits In Context” from the permanent collection and “Artists Choose Artists” in a special exhibition—are not only new, they also all interrelate.

“We had this idea that we would reinstall every single gallery in time for the one year anniversary,” said Parrish Director Terrie Sultan during a walk-through of the museum’s gallery spaces last week.
“Each of the seven galleries is almost like a mini exhibition, drawn from the permanent collection. But there are connections from one to the other. For example, if you’re in the room for Esteban Vicente and his circle, you’ll see a portrait of the artist Alex Katz by Chuck Close. Chuck Close was a student of Esteban Vicente. And if you go outside that gallery, around the corner to the installation in the spine of “Poets and Painters,” you’ll see a portrait painted by Alex Katz of a poet. So you start to see these stepping stones ... these connections between all the artists that are part of this great collection that creates a legacy of the artists of the East End of Long Island.”

Sometimes the connections are obvious, as seen in the Vicente groupings; the “Artists Choose Artists” selections; the landscapes gallery, which starts with bucolic scenes of nature and progresses to decidedly more modern, urban cityscapes; and the “Portraits in Context” exhibit—a highlight of which is the pairing of Robert Henri’s “Lady in Black” opposite William Merritt Chase’s “My Daughter Dieudonnée.

Other times the thread is more subtle, as in the back story behind the two portraits by Henri and Chase. According to information provided by the Parrish, Chase appointed Henri to teach with him at the New York School of Art in 1902. The two artists were not only contemporaries but both portraitists were unified in their admiration for Hals, Velázquez and Manet. In the short span of five years, however, Henri’s work became more and more progressive as Chase’s Old Master brushwork and refined subjects remained true to classic form. The two portraits painted during this period and now facing one another in the gallery—Chase’s of his daughter, Alice, and Henri’s of his wife, Linda—demonstrate the contrasts and similarities between these two colleagues, who together show the changing course of American art at the turn of the 20th century.

Moving toward the more contemporary, the “Artists Choose Artists” exhibit draws from a deep well of those creating artwork today. The idea for this exhibit, which is now in its third year, is to pair up established and emerging artists. The group being shown this year includes: Laurie Anderson with Elizabeth Dow and Mary McCormick, Judith Hudson with Don Christensen and Christine Sciulli, Mel Kendrick with Elise Ansel and Eva Faye, David Salle with Carol Hayes and Virva Hinnemo, Ned Smyth with Koichiro Kurita and Rick Liss, Keith Sonnier with Rossa Cole and Brian Gaman, and Robert Wilson with Tucker Marder and Ezra Thompson.

Including the permanent collection and the special exhibition, within the museum’s 12,200 square feet of exhibition space there are literally hundreds of stories being told between these pieces of artwork. And that’s the way Chief Curator Alicia Longwell wants it to remain.

“What’s wonderful is how it flows into one another from one room to another, these themes, which are weaved throughout the installation,” she said last week during an interview at the museum.

Ms. Sultan agreed. She said that even the few pieces that were on view last year remain on view in this iteration—less than 10—are now being shown in new and different contexts. The result is a fresh perspective and an opportunity for new dialogue between the works.

“The key is that we want people to know that there is something to do here and it will most likely be new. If you think you’ve seen the Parrish because you were here a couple of times last year, you can start all over again,” she said, adding that she plans to completely reinstall the permanent collection on every annual anniversary. “It will be like walking through the door for the first time. Now you get to do it all over again and make new discoveries.”

She stressed that one of the things that makes this type of viewing possible is the space that the new museum allows. And with the space, comes more and more new acquisitions—many of them gifts, Ms. Sultan reported.

“Of course there’s a lot of new work. There will be many new pieces that have come to the collection, or have been promised to the collection, since last November,” she said. “What it means is that artists and collectors have responded to the fact that we now have the ability to provide works for the public on a permanent basis. That makes them feel more dedicated and enthusiastic about making significant gifts; because they feel confident that they will be seen, and in the proper context.

More than 70,000 people have visited the museum since it opened last year, Ms. Sultan added. The numbers far exceeded her expectations.

“It’s been an amazing year,” she said. “The building, and the response from the community, has been even more than we ever could have imagined.”

The reason, she ventured, was because the Parrish truly represents the best of what the East End has to offer, in every sense of the word.

“As compelling and stunning as the exterior of this architecture is, coming inside it’s a very different kind of experience. I believe very strongly that this museum is different from any other museum in the world,” she said. “People come in and they see art in an intimate setting. It’s warm and welcoming, not theatrical or scary. And we have a lot of great art—a great wonderful package. It’s part of our everyday lives; it’s home.”

The Parrish Art Museum’s “Anniversary Weekend Celebration” starts on Saturday, November 9, at 10 a.m. and continues through Monday, November 11, at 5 p.m. A private members preview will be held on Friday, November 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, planned events include drop-in activities for the whole family from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; music by cellist Karlos Rodriguez from noon to 2 p.m.; a docent-led tour at 2 p.m.; and an opportunity to meet the artists from 3 to 4 p.m. On Monday, planned activities include: drop-in activities for the whole family from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and a docent-led tour at 2 p.m. For additional information, visit parrishart.org.