Ducks, Puppets Stampede Into Water Mill

In an open field on Deerfield Road in Water Mill, Tucker Marder waved hello from his white Toyota SUV, an amorphous wooden shape looming a few hundred yards behind him. As he drove toward it, a hawk circled overhead, looking for its next meal.

Little does the hawk know, the vast, vacant field soon will transform into the holy grail for bird-of-prey dining, when 215 crested Indian runner ducks take center stage there starting Saturday for Mr. Marder’s performance piece, “Stampede,” as part of the Parrish Art Museum’s “Road Show.”

“Yeah, I’m a little worried about the ducks,” 26-year-old Mr. Marder said with a nervous laugh as he peeked out from under his wide-brimmed straw hat, eyes to the sky. The last thing he needed was a predator to hijack his vision, which he developed eight months ago—his second collaboration with the Water Mill museum, following “Galápagos,” alongside Christian Scheider, last year.

The overall concept stems from a similar bird-oriented piece he helped stage at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh in 2014. With the help of three human-powered, massive wooden puppets—two are attached to vehicles, one is stationary—Mr. Marder will herd 215 ducks in the field to the sounds of a large vibraphone player.

“It’s like a large-scale puppet show, but it doesn’t really have a narrative or anything like that,” Mr. Marder explained. “It’s just like this abstract, sort of formal dance ritual.”

The overgrown field will be mowed to create a staging and viewing area, which can seat 30 people at a time, not to mention paths and cocktail areas for attendees to gather, he said. Both the field and crested Indian runner ducks are family-owned, he said, though the latter have always fascinated Mr. Marder.

He has spent hours observing the crested Indian runner ducks in Springs, where both he and the fowl reside. And despite countless questions about his eating habits, Mr. Marder has not become a vegetarian or vegan.

“I love the ducks, but I also think it’s possible to love them and to eat them,” he said. “I just don’t think those two things are mutually exclusive.” He wouldn’t even go so far as to describe himself as an animal lover, he said. Rather, his interests lie in biodiversity.

“I don’t really love specific animals more than other ones,” he explained. “I love the idea that there are so many ways to be alive right now. There are more than six million species in the world. I don’t really love my dog or my cat. I love that my dog and my cat can be alive at the same time that an amoeba can.”

That appreciation for all life, whether big or small, is something Mr. Marder said he tries to convey through his animal performance art, which frequently possesses elements of humor or silliness. He described a past film, “Club Scallop,” as “an underwater nightclub for scallops.”

“I try to get this tiny flip in people during these shows,” he said. “I try to get people to consider what it’s like to be a duck, or to live as a duck, to get these tiny moments of subconsciously empathizing or considering. It’s not about teaching a lesson.”

This unique lens developed through growing up in the Hamptons and his family’s business, Marders Garden Center and Nursery in Bridgehampton, he said.

“It’s kind of this microcosm for this absurd, wonderful relationship between people and nature, where people are willing to pay money for a huge tree,” he explained. “And there are great things about that. And you get to see a tree balance between two forks on a pay loader, and there’s this crazy ballet that can only happen in this weird, specific set of circumstances, which is the East End.

“Out here, there is some semblance of a function of an ecosystem,” he continued. “I think nature out here is in this really funny spot. It’s almost humorous.”

Besides providing Mr. Marder with environmental inspiration, the East End has also issued him deep artistic roots that steered him toward his career, he said. His home in Springs is no more than a stone’s throw from Jackson Pollock’s home, and he grew up down the road from Willem de Kooning’s house, he said. The fact that his brothers and parents are artists did not hurt, either.

Currently in graduate school at Carnegie Mellon University, Mr. Marder is studying contextual practice after earning a degree in sculpture from Pratt Institute in 2012. For now, his focus is on “Stampede,” which is all about sparking a conversation.

“First, I hope people think it’s funny,” he said with a smile. “I don’t think I’m going to save the world, but if more people took the time and had a thought about a duck or any animal, the world would be a better place.”

“Stampede” will open on Saturday, August 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 1058 Deerfield Road in Water Mill. Rain date is Sunday, August 16. Additional viewings will be held on Monday, August 17, starting at 11 a.m. and Wednesday, August 19, starting at 7 p.m. Admission is free. To RSVP, visit parrishart.org/roadshowtuckermarder.