Alexis Rockman Unveils 'Field Drawings' Project At Parrish - 27 East

Arts & Living

Arts & Living / 1342858

Alexis Rockman Unveils 'Field Drawings' Project At Parrish

icon 15 Photos

authorMichelle Trauring on Nov 3, 2015

Alexis Rockman is more likely to hear about a beautiful day than experience one. The self-described shut-in passes most of his time brooding in his Manhattan studio, contemplating the world and painting epic oils of dystopian destruction and unbridled fantasy.But for two warm, rainy months in 2014, he left that world behind, trading it for open fields in Southampton, beaches in East Hampton, trails in Sag Harbor and parks in Montauk. He got his hands dirty—literally—by collecting mud, soil and leaves in plastic bags, and toting them back to his Sag Harbor rental, where he’s summered for a decade. There, he mixed them with water, dipped in his brush and began.

Out poured birds, plants, fish and turtles; insects, deer, seals and sharks. They swam, flew, waved in the breeze. And, for the first time ever, the 93 drawings Mr. Rockman created that summer are finally on view at none other than the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill—after spending 10 months stowed away in a safe deposit box.

The “field drawings,” as Mr. Rockman calls them, have taken him to many corners of the world, he explained during a telephone interview on Monday from his home in Manhattan, and it was only a natural jump to try out the series in the Hamptons.

“I didn’t start these until ’94, when I was in the Amazon with some friends. We were joking around and so many of the great ideas you have are a joke at first,” he said. “It really sort of stuck. I grabbed a bunch of mud from this riverbank and that was the beginning.”

That first fistful of mud led to other projects in Tasmania, Madagascar, Guyana and Brazil. He even considered Antarctica—“and then I realized it would just be water,” he laughed. “It’s really hard to get soil there.”

With the guidance of naturalist Jim Ash, the former executive director of the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton, Mr. Rockman said he learned the ins and outs of East End ecology in about three weeks before planning an itinerary.

For the next month, the artist visited five sites per day, gathering natural material in zip-lock bags—“sand, dirt, leaves, what have you,” he said—for each of his subjects, from flora to fauna.

When the time came, he would make three mixtures of differing viscosity from the materials—very concentrated, then medium and light—and, with water, make a drawing on paper. It felt primal and simple, he said, an art form dating back to cavemen.

“It’s a different muscle, though there are similar ways of immersing yourself in a world,” he said, comparing the field drawing series to his body of work. “This is very physical and the studio paintings I make are very cinematic and more immersive in a pictorial way.

“I love the limitations of the field drawings,” he added. “It’s like a sonnet. And the paintings are more like novels.”

Mr. Rockman, who is responsible for several concept paintings for the “Tiger Vision” scene in director Ang Lee’s “Life of Pi,” has seen his work on view in museums and galleries across the globe, and he has no shortage of projects. On Tuesday, a fossil expert and curator from the American Museum of Natural History took the artist through the five boroughs and New Jersey in order to gather fossil material, which will eventually become drawings of giant ferns that existed 360 million years ago, he said.

“Who wouldn’t want to do that?” he said, laughing. “I enjoy all of my field drawing experiences, all of them. It was all very memorable. Last summer, I got word from a friend who told me there was a beached leatherback turtle on Town Line Beach. It’s the largest turtle in the world. It was like seeing this incredibly beautiful, giant reptile. Unfortunately, it was dead and seagulls were eating its eyeballs.”

For most of his time in the field, it was raining, he said. But that didn’t dampen his spirits. One day, he found himself near Hook Pond in East Hampton—a “very human-disrupted environment,” he said.

“I got out of the car and walked over to the pond to grab some mud and saw the most beautiful white-tailed deer,” he recalled. “They’re horrible most of the time because you’re trying not to hit them, but he was drinking out of the pond and there was this beautiful symmetrical reflection in the water. It was a quiet moment of poetry.”

He considers his solitary life in the studio a sacrifice for his art, he said. “There are many times when I hear it was an incredible day,” he said. “This time, I could say myself that it was an incredible—but rainy—day.”

“Alexis Rockman: East End Field Drawings” will be on view through January 18 at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill. For more information, visit parrishart.org.

You May Also Like:

East End Underground Concert Series Presents ‘Folkie Fest: The Power of Song’

LTV Studios and the East End Underground Live Concert Series will present “Folkie Fest: The Power of Song” on Sunday, October 19, at 2 p.m., featuring an afternoon of acoustic performances by local artists. The event, produced by DJ, filmmaker and musician Jody Gambino, is an extension of an ongoing concert series at the Moriches Bay Recreation Facility. It aims to showcase a variety of artists, genres and original music. Featured performers include Gregory John Smith, The Hootenannies, Silas Jones, Rorie Kelly and Hank Stone. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door at ltveh.org. LTV is at ... 13 Oct 2025 by Staff Writer

Howl at the Moon: ‘Ozzmosis’ Channels Ozzy for a Haunted Halloween Show

The Suffolk will honor the Prince of Darkness with “Ozzmosis,” a world-class Ozzy Osbourne anthology ... by Staff Writer

Tickleslap Trio Returns to Montauk Library for Encore Performance

The Montauk Library will present a special encore performance by the Tickleslap Trio on Sunday, ... 12 Oct 2025 by Staff Writer

Horror on Hill Street: Southampton Playhouse Is Where the Classics Come Out After Dark

This month, Southampton Playhouse (43 Hill Street, Southampton) presents a celebration of classic and cult horror films along with talks by special guests and thematic programming. For tickets, visit southamptonplayhouse.com. “Psycho” – Tuesday, October 21, 7:30 p.m. Alfred Hitchcock’s seminal slasher film “Psycho” returns to the Playhouse for the first time since 1960, as part of the ongoing series curated by Martin Scorsese and his daughter, Francesca Scorsese. The screening will be accompanied by cocktails from the new book “Hitchcocktails” by WLIW host Larry Maslan. Maslan will present the film, discuss the film-themed drinks in his book, and offer insights ... by Staff Writer

Playwrights’ Theatre of East Hampton To Present ‘Rhinoceros’ at LTV Studios

The Playwrights’ Theatre of East Hampton at LTV Studios will present a staged reading of “Rhinoceros,” a play by Eugène Ionesco and translated by Derek Prouse, on Saturday, October 18, at 7:30 p.m. Originally written in 1959, “Rhinoceros” is a landmark work of absurdist theater. The play follows the residents of a small French town as they begin transforming into rhinoceroses, with only the central character, Bérenger, resisting the metamorphosis. Often interpreted as a commentary on conformity and the rise of fascism in Europe, the play explores themes of morality, logic, mob mentality and individual responsibility. The cast includes Vincent ... 10 Oct 2025 by Staff Writer

‘Unsilenced Voices’ Honors Music’s Power to Resist Tyranny

Reflections in Music returns to The Church on Saturday, October 25, at 7 p.m. with ... by Staff Writer

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ at The Suffolk

The Suffolk will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture ... by Staff Writer

Hamptons JazzFest Launches With Latin Jazz and Dinner Event

Hamptons JazzFest will launch its 2025–26 Jazz Night series on Friday, October 17, with an opening night celebration featuring a Latin jazz performance, dinner by Tapovana Lunch Box, and a full refreshment bar. “Jazz Night is a premium cultural experience for the community — world-class music, an inclusive atmosphere, and welcoming hospitality all under one roof,” said Claes Brondal, executive director of Hamptons JazzFest. “By combining music and dining, we’ve created more than a concert — it’s a complete evening out, and it all wraps up before 9 p.m.” The event will take place at the Masonic Temple at 200 ... 9 Oct 2025 by Staff Writer

‘Puccini ed Amici’ Concert Returns to Leiber Collection October 11

The Leiber Collection will present “Puccini ed Amici (Puccini & Friends)” with world-class opera singers, ... 8 Oct 2025 by Staff Writer

Bedside Reading Offers a Book Collection for Film Festival Guests

Visitors attending the East Hampton film festival this week will find a literary addition to ... 7 Oct 2025 by Staff Writer