The Leiber Collection will present a magical, thought-provoking conversation on Saturday, July 29, at 4 p.m., featuring Candace Hill Montgomery and Aurelio Torres as they present “What Remains Vestigial — A Dialog Between Portraiture and Poetry” in the Leiber Sculpture Garden.
As part the “Garden of Friends” exhibition, these two accomplished artists will present a battle of sorts, a race of time, as Montgomery reads her poetry while Torres paints her portrait.
Candace Hill Montgomery is an African-American multi-disciplinary artist and writer. She works in photography, mixed-media collage and watercolors. Montgomery’s artworks use elements of fabric and poetry to convey social issues through the usage of humor and satire. The topics covered in her work include racism, poverty and feminism, migrants and refugee children. Her artwork in “The Garden of Friends” exhibition pairs a beloved Judith Leiber minaudière, a gift to her from fashion icon Bill Blass, with poetry and photos of her as a fashion model working for Blass. Bill Blass was also a dear friend of Judith Leiber’s, making this artwork by Montgomery an incredibly special piece in the current exhibition.
Aurelio Torres was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, to a family of artists, and was raised in New York City. His work infuses the aesthetic principles of classicism within contemporary settings. His painting typically depicts scenes from nature or portraits, and his sculptures most often interpret the simple, clean lines of wooden ships.
He says of his time making art during his world travels, “The people there were just enchanted when I took out a pad and started drawing. There is a magic to going to another place and being able to paint.”
Leiber Collection founders, famed artful handbag designer Judith Leiber and celebrated modernist artist Gerson Leiber, fell in love with the Hamptons in the early 1950s when they began coming “Out East” as a respite from their busy life in New York City. Drawn by the extraordinary light quality, the quiet atmosphere and the other artistic, intellectual and lively residents, they found Springs to be a fertile environment for their creative endeavors, be it fashion design, painting, printmaking, sculpture or even gardening.
Come enjoy the magic in the Leiber Sculpture Garden, on Saturday, July 29, at 4 p.m. The Leiber Collection Museum and Sculpture Garden is at 446 Old Stone Highway in East Hampton. For more information, visit leibercollection.org or call 631-329-3288.
Staff Writer on Jul 24, 2023