Assembly Theory Is Focus of Duck Creek Exhibition

The work of Jonathan Shlafer, an Amagansett-based sculptor, will be on view at the Arts Center at Duck Creek from August 31 to September 29. The show, “Assembly Theory: Jonathan Shlafer” opens with a reception on Saturday, August 31, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Shlafer has spent the past several years driven by the desire to create forms that are inspired and influenced by the material itself. His primary medium for this exhibit is salvaged wood, sourced by friends like Mica Marder, who share Shlafer’s appreciation for the intricate beauty contained in this raw, organic material.

Shlafer’s work is guided by Assembly Theory (AT), which “views objects as entities defined by their possible formation histories rather than as isolated particles.” This theory resonates with Shlafer’s artistic process, where the history and character of each piece of wood shape the final form. Using basic tools and unconventional methods, Shlafer refines the natural shapes found in each log, transforming them into totems, chairs, or more delicately carved botanicals. His approach reveals the inherent beauty of the wood’s texture through the application of oils, bleaching, or fire, and its vulnerabilities in the placement of bronze bowties which to preserve and emphasize the wood’s natural cracks.

While wood sculpture is the focal point of the exhibition, “Assembly Theory” also showcases Shlafer’s recent botanical works cast in bronze, adding a new dimension to his work. The entire show will be framed by Shlafer’s large-scale gesture drawings, where repetitive ballpoint pen marks create an oscillating effect that makes viewing them a sensory experience, almost like hearing.

This exhibition is a celebration of material, form, and process, where Shlafer’s reverence for his medium and his exploration of theoretical concepts come together to create a compelling, multisensory experience.

In conjunction with the show, Duck Creek will host a Visual Thinking Strategies Talk on Sunday, September 22, at 3 p.m. Visual Thinking Strategies is an inquiry-based teaching method that has changed museum education worldwide. It is an opportunity to come together as a community, to practice looking, talking, listening, and engaging with art and each other.

The Arts Center at Duck Creek is at 127 Squaw Road in East Hampton. For more information visit duckcreekarts.org or call 646-391-5663.