Open Your Eyes At The Parrish - 27 East

Arts & Living

Arts & Living / 1565087

Open Your Eyes At The Parrish

icon 9 Photos
Charles Bell,

Charles Bell, "Before the Journey," 1986.

Robert Gniewek

Robert Gniewek "Al's Diner."

Saul Steinberg,

Saul Steinberg, "Untitled (Amagansett Post Office)," 1981

Saul Steinberg,

Saul Steinberg, "Trains," 1950.

"The Artist’s Hand: Circles, Squares, And Squiggles," installation view. GARY MAMAY

"Tom Slaughter: Primary Colors," installation view. GARY MAMAY

"Contemporary Portraits’ Split Reference," installation view. GARY MAMAY

"What We See, How We See," installation view.

"Saul Steinberg: Modernist Without Portfolio," installation view. GARY MAMAY

authorStaff Writer on Dec 6, 2019

On November 10, the Parrish Art Museum opened “What We See, How We See,” a series of seven special exhibitions that juxtapose distinct image-making approaches by artists working in abstraction and figuration, from the late 19th century until today. Multi-generational and multi-faceted, these projects, taken together, offer a nuanced and compelling exploration about the very nature of seeing. Featuring 125 paintings, works on paper, and sculpture by Charles Bell, Perle Fine, Jeffrey Gibson, Alex Katz, and Richard Prince, among others, “What We See, How We See” creates conversations and contextualizes the artist’s vision of how they see and interpret the world.

As part of the exhibition, the museum is proud to feature 49 of 64 works by Saul Steinberg, many of which have never been seen before, recently gifted to the Parrish by The Saul Steinberg Foundation.

Individual thematic galleries feature the contrasting approaches of Prince, Dorothea Rockburne, and David Salle, among others. “The Artist’s Hand: Circles, Squares, and Squiggles” explores abstract gestures through works by Jennifer Bartlett, Willem de Kooning, and Jack Youngerman. In “Contemporary Portraits’ Split Reference,” Chuck Close and Till Freiwald reveal their subjects in larger than life depictions; “The Eye and the Camera” presents new acquisitions of paintings by Photorealist artists; and “American Views: Artists at Home and Abroad” highlights 19th-century landscape paintings from the Parrish’s holdings. Two galleries bring to light bodies of work by single artists, from the tragic-comic world view of Steinberg to the joyful graphic imagery of Tom Slaughter.

“Each gallery presents a focused element of the important dialogue about how information and emotion is conveyed through art,” noted museum director Terrie Sultan. “What we see — and how we see and process visual information — is an important topic right now, and it is gratifying to have the opportunity to explore this through the eyes of such creative people.”

“What We See, How We See” runs through April 2021 at the Parrish Art Museum, 279 Montauk Highway, Water Mill. For details visit parrishart.org.

You May Also Like:

Saxophone Luminary Jane Ira Bloom Brings Her Quartet to The Church

Acclaimed soprano saxophonist and NEA Jazz Master Jane Ira Bloom will bring her boundary-pushing all-star ... 5 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

Tickets on Sale for East Hampton Library’s 21st Annual Authors Night Fundraiser

The East Hampton Library will host its 21st Annual Authors Night fundraiser on Saturday, August ... 4 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

Tales Told in Sound: Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival Celebrates Its 42nd Season

The Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival (BCMF), Long Island’s longest-running classical music festival, returns this summer ... by Staff Writer

Santi Debriano’s Bembé Arktet Brings Global Jazz Fusion to Sag Harbor

Hamptons Jazz Fest continues its summer season with bassist and composer Santi Debriano and his dynamic ensemble, Bembé Arktet, on Friday, July 18, at 6 p.m. at The Church in Sag Harbor. Panamanian-born and Brooklyn-raised, Debriano is a powerful force in Afro-Caribbean jazz, known for his work with legends like Archie Shepp, Randy Weston and Freddie Hubbard. With Bembé Arktet, he blends complex polyrhythms, folkloric melodies and modal improvisation into a vibrant sound that is both deeply spiritual and rhythmically propulsive. The ensemble’s name draws from “bembé,” an Afro-Cuban sacred celebration of drumming and dance, which reflects the group’s mission: ... by Staff Writer

Joy-Ann Reid to Speak in the Hamptons at ‘Equality Matters’ Lecture, Part of Stony Brook’s ‘Thinking Forward’ Series

Journalist, author and Emmy-nominated broadcaster Joy-Ann Reid will headline “Equality Matters in the Hamptons” on Thursday, July 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the Avram Theater at Stony Brook Southampton. The event, moderated by Ken Miller, is part of the “Thinking Forward Lecture Series,” presented by the Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center (The Center) in cooperation with Stony Brook University. The series aims to educate, inspire and foster dialogue on important cultural and social issues. A limited-space VIP reception will be held at 5 p.m. and includes a signed book by Reid. Reservations are available at stonybrook.edu/reid. Reid is best ... by Staff Writer

Ted Hartley To Be Inducted into Hamptons Artist Hall of Fame, Exhibit at Hamptons Fine Art Fair

Artist Ted Hartley will be inducted into the Hamptons Artist Hall of Fame during the ... 3 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

Sara Nightingale Gallery Debuts Rose Cameron’s Dreamlike ‘Forever. For Now.’ Exhibition

Sara Nightingale Gallery will present a solo exhibition by artist Rose Cameron titled “Forever. For ... by Staff Writer

Childhood Friends and Authors Scott Johnston, Michael Cannell Discuss New Books at Bridgehampton Barnes & Noble

Authors Scott Johnston and Michael Cannell, longtime childhood friends who grew up on the East ... by Staff Writer

Artists Go Off-Map in ‘Having a Long Coarse Daunting Peak’ at LTV Studios

“Having a Long Coarse Daunting Peak,” an exhibition of color, urgency and unmapped terrain curated ... by Staff Writer

Supporting a Biodiverse Future: David Loehwing and Kevin McDonald in Conversation at The Church

The Church will host David Loehwing and Kevin McDonald for a talk on Saturday, August ... by Staff Writer