Outdoor Sculpture on Display With 'Organic Abstraction' Exhibition at Southampton Arts Center

The Southampton Arts Center debuted its newest exhibition, “Organic Abstraction: Contemporary Outdoor Sculpture,” on June 7, featuring a variety of sculptures placed outside of the center.

The exhibition is curated by Cheryl Sokolow, the founder of Hamptons Sculpture SIGHTS who has focused her career on outdoor sculpture. She noted that she particularly likes “placing the work outdoors and having the interplay of the outdoor environment with the works.”

Featuring 11 pieces from the East End and across the country, the exhibition focuses on independent works in abstract contemporary sculpture, with the main theme being physical properties of the work instead of an over-arching message.

“The idea is that the work communicates through its process and the use of material,” said Sokolow. “It’s not really based on a narrative, but rather based in its physical attributes and qualities.”

Compared to the other exhibition she’s currently running, “Uncommon Ground” at Bridge Gardens in Bridgehampton, Sokolow noted that “the garden is more about the intrinsic beauty of the landscape and art together, and this is more about the work itself.”

Among the contributing artists is Norman Mooney, a New York City-based artist who has been doing sculpture for 35 years. His work for the exhibition, “Cumulus Stone,” is based on cloud formations, something that he thought was a relatable topic.

“I liked the idea of making something so ethereal with such a permanent material,” he said. “Clouds are this sort of universal thing that every culture has a relationship to.”

Mooney also added that he prefers to have his work showcased outdoors because “it’s a really important part of my practice to engage with nature, it’s how we engage in the world.”

Another one of the artists is Brooklyn-based John Clement, who contributed “Duke,” a spiraling red steel coil weighing in at 2,600 pounds. The piece, named after his son, has previously been featured in Quebec, Florida and Tennessee.

Mooney spoke of how when working with sculpture, it’s important to keep the physical elements like the relation to gravity in mind, but still make sure to make something that looks natural and fluid.

“Sculpture is like wrestling and poetry combined,” said Mooney as he worked on leveling his sculpture. “You get to physically work out ideas while you’re mentally figuring them out as well.”

The sculptures are placed outside on the center’s property at 25 Jobs Lane in the heart of Southampton Village, including behind and on the sides of the main building, which allows people to look at the works even when the center is closed.

This year marks the second edition of the exhibition. The first one was held last year at the SAC and was well-received by the community, leading to it being brought back this year.

“People loved the idea you could come at all hours even the museums or galleries are closed to walk around the grounds and contemplate the work,” said Christina Strassfield, the executive director of Southampton Arts Center. “I can’t tell you how many people I saw taking selfies in front of the sculptures, engaging with the sculptures and talking about it afterwards.”

Sokolow and Strassfield both spoke of how they have enjoyed working with each other for the exhibition, with Sokolow adding that she likes having it at SAC because “we have a lot of people coming here and people have the opportunity to engage with large-scale work.”

The exhibition will be on display until October 7. Over the course of the exhibition, the works will be for sale, and a percentage of these funds will be donated to the Arts Center and Bridge Gardens. Sokolow added that “we’re all about raising funds, keeping the culture alive in the community and supporting the arts.”