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[caption id="attachment_48674" align="alignnone" width="800"] "Wainscott Pond Sunrise" by Eileen Dawn, 36” x 72” Skretch, 2007. Gary Mamay photo[/caption]
By Dawn Watson
It’s often said that the only thing that’s constant is change. It’s a topic that is never more apropos than here when one considers the continuing transformation of the East End landscape.
The sun, shore and bucolic beauty have drawn many to this former farmland over the years. But as a steady stream of seasonal visitors and more permanent denizens has descended upon this place, the complexion of it has evolved.
Yes, there are still open spaces and natural wonders to behold all over the East End, though much of the farmland has proved more fertile for development than crops, says artist and curator Ann Lombardo. That’s why she decided to do her part in calling attention to the shifting scenery by curating the “Scenes and Structures: Here and Gone” exhibit at the Southampton Cultural Center.
The two-person art show and sale, which includes the work of painter Eileen Dawn Skretch and photographer Anthony Lombardo, will open on Tuesday, March 1, and will hang through April 10. An artists’ reception is planned for Saturday, March 12, from 4 to 6 p.m.
The theme of the show is “our fast-disappearing landscape,” reports Ms. Lombardo. The 20 or so pieces included in the exhibit will most likely call the viewers’ attention to the still-existing examples of an Arcadian way of life here on the East End, while noting the transformation and disappearance of its former rural roots, she adds.
“There is a looming message here if people are interested,” says the Water Mill resident. “Our views and our vistas are so inextricably tied to the land, to the real estate, and to our reason for being here. All we need to do is open our eyes and look.”
Mr. Lombardo, who is married to the curator, reports that he’s seen a remarkable shift in the natural and man-made destinations of our world since he moved out east 12 years ago. Where the vast stretches of farmland once stood, development has now encroached.
“We’ve become an ex-burb. Not quite a suburb but not in the country any more,” he says. “There are more people here year-round as well as during the summer.”
As a result, he says, the resulting development can only be expected.
[caption id="attachment_48673" align="alignnone" width="800"]
Wavy Barn photo by Anthony Lombardo, 2007.[/caption]
“In every open field, there are now houses on the edge,” he says. “But I still do see a lot of beauty here, even though it's changed. It's just a different type of beauty now; a different type of view.”
A lifelong Southampton native, Ms. Skretch has seen considerable changes to the landscape of her homeland, she notes. Born into a farming family, the plein air painter reports that she has been drawn to the natural world here ever since she can remember, even though the sweeping open views that once caught her eye in the past now require just a bit more imagination when she paints them.
“I’ve always been completely enamored by the local landscape,” she says, adding that she tends to eliminate any man-made structures from her work. “I like to paint it how it was when I was a kid. Obviously that takes some extra work as things change and buildings pop up and block the view, but I still love it here.”
Though continuing the dialogue about conservation is a key point of the show, says Ms. Lombardo, it’s not the only one. At the end of the day, it’s her hope that “Scenes and Structures” makes a positive and memorable impact on those who see it.
“I’d love it if anybody who walks in will be more indelibly marked by the appreciation of the views—if these beautiful images can attach more deeply to this place where we live or visit.”
Ms. Skretch shared similar thoughts about her aims for the exhibition.
“I want this show to remind people that there is still beauty everywhere here. I would like them to see what they are driving past every day when they are stuck in traffic trying to get from one place to another,” she says. “Just stop and notice how gorgeous it is out here. This is art people. Let’s enjoy what we have.”
“Scenes and Structures: Here and Gone” opens at the Southampton Cultural Center on Tuesday, March 1. An opening reception is planned for Saturday, March 12, from 4 to 6 p.m. and the show will be on display through April 10. For additional information, visit www.scc-arts.org.
