Brecknock HallSunday, June 30, 2013

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THE REST IS ART: A Celebration of The Bench As An Art Form “If an artist tries consciously to do something to others, it is to stretch their eyes,

their thoughts, to something they would not see or feel if the artist had not done it. To do this, he has to stretch his own first.”

— Henry Moore

“Sculpture is more divine, and more like nature That fashions all her works in high relief…”

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Welcome to the Outdoor Living Gallery at Brecknock Hall and the Peconic Landing campus.

The well-crafted title of this year’s sculpture exhibit is not only a nice play-on-words, but suggests an approach to experiencing it as well.

The bench dates back at least five thousand years to the time when nomadic peoples rested on the chests in which they moved their belongings about. By the time they settled down, benches had become an integral part of their social lives, but designs no longer depended on their doubling as a portable chest. Although we tend to think of benches as functional, serving as a resting seat for more than one person at a time, aesthetics have been considered in their design almost from the beginning.

Using different materials for the upright supports and the seat itself was the most common feature employed to render the bench both useful and aesthetically interesting. Wood, concrete, stone and metal remain the most sought after materials in bench craft, but animal skins, tusks, clay, and durable hemp and fabric have been utilized very creatively.

Form met function early on because benches were usually outdoor furniture, often placed for the public to behold, as much as to rest on. Recollect, if you will, the images you’ve seen over the years of people using benches… a woman sitting on a long, slightly curved walnut bench against her cottage, her face inclined to the sun, then joined for conversation by two friends… three children assembled on a concrete park bench laughing as they race to eat dripping ice cream cones… several people on a sculpted metal bench at a bus stop, reading morning newspapers… artistic, living images all.

When the call went out from Dominic Antignano, the show’s curator, Peconic Landings’s Cultural Arts Coordinator, and himself an accomplished sculptor, for “sculpted benches,” artists from near and far submitted entries that challenged and delighted the jury’s sense of form and function. The seven pieces selected invite our visitors as well to regard the material, the craft, and the setting, to view the works from different angles, and to imagine using the benches in their own unique ways.

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“The Rest Is Art” applies not only to the pieces themselves, but to how one rests on them. The resting itself, whether in quiet contemplation, conversation, or play with friends, completes the work of art. No piece of art is finished until it has been experienced. This may be especially true of sculpture, where texture, dimension, and function demand our interaction.

Please feel welcome to rest on these sculpted rests, as you enjoy the rest of what the Outdoor Living Gallery offers.

We are exhilarated by the participation of the art class at Mattituck High School, whose members were encouraged by their teacher to apply. Hand crafted wooden benches were to be painted as each student felt inspired. Six were selected to be exhibited here. They are as varied and interesting as the students themselves, whose backgrounds and approaches to this challenge are described in the following pages.

Among ten additional sculptures by artists from around the world, nine are carried over from our previous three years’ exhibits, as our permanent sculpture garden grows, and one is new, “Rainbow Totem” by Steve Zaluski, the 2012 contributor of “Blue Jazz.” Each is a monumental work guaranteed to “stretch” the viewer as Henry Moore suggests.

And the rest, indeed, is art…

Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571) said, “All works of nature are works of sculpture.” In this sense, the 144-acre Peconic Landing campus, once the working estate of David Floyd, farmer and whaling entrepreneur, and grandson of William Floyd, signer of the Declaration of Independence, is a beautiful example. Beach, dunes, woods, ponds, and wildlife, provide a pastoral setting in which the community’s residents live. Especially noteworthy is our own “super bowl,” sculpted from a twentieth century sand and gravel quarry, now a setting of ponds, waterfalls, and groves, in and around which much of the outdoor art work is exhibited.

Finally, there is Brecknock Hall itself. Completed in 1857, and made of ashlar stone, it is a fine example of 19th century Italianate architecture, “inhabited sculpture,” as Constantin Brancusi, Romanian pioneer of modernism, and sculptor of “The Kiss” (1908), referred to it.

Your experience of “The Rest is Art” will begin and end at historic Brecknock Hall.

— Joe McKay

Joe Mc Kay writes and speaks on “Practical Spirituality.” He is a poet, and the author of a monthly column, “Crazy About Words.” He is a Peconic Landing resident since 2002,

serves on the Board of its Lifetime Learning Council, and leads an annual study group, “Reading Like A Writer… Adventures in Mindful Reading.”

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Nico YEkTaiNico Yektai is the creative force behind the company bearing his name, specializing in unique pieces of furniture for homeowners, designers, corporate and public projects. Yektai’s work can be found in art galleries and at design shows throughout the nation.

Yektai opened the doors to his studio in Sag Harbor, NY in 1995. Yektai chose the location because of the area’s diverse art scene. He had been exposed to that world by his father, Manoucher Yektai, who was a central part of the Abstract Expressionist movement. Yektai has shown throughout the Hamptons including shows at the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, NY, Guild hall in East Hampton, NY and The LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton, NY. These shows served to expose his singular style to a local and national audience, thanks to the Hamptons being an extension of the national and international art world. Yektai also has not lost touch with the “craft” world and has exhibited at the two shows at the pinnacle of that field, The Smithsonian Craft Show and The Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show.

BENch #2Mahogany and concrete

33” x 120” x 26”

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STEvEN cERaSoSteven Ceraso received his MFA in Sculpture from Claremont Graduate University. His work is an ongoing exploration of discarded objects and reclaimed materials. His studio is in Bay Shore, NY. Recent exhibitions include Fountain Art Fair NYC, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, Sculpture Walk, Columbus, GA, Collaborative Concepts, Garrison, NY, Brecknock Hall, Greenport, NY “Spring Pictures of the Floating World” Collaboration with Peculiar Works NYC.

He currently teaches Drawing and 3D Design at Briarcliffe College, Bethpage and Woodworking at 3rd Ward Brooklyn. He has previously worked for Long Island University, The New York Studio School, and Parsons School of Design Product Department. Steven is also the gallery manager of the Second Avenue Firehouse Gallery and Performance Space in Bay Shore, NY.

ailaNThuS BENchAilanthus Wood bench, with cedar substructure. Ailanthus is an invasive species native to China, sometimes called the “Tree of Heaven” 16” x 80” x 18”

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ZoRaN luka FREdZoran Luka Fred was born in Yugoslavia in 1968. In his childhood he spent time with his uncle who was a folklore wood artist. Through his uncle, Zoran was given his first interest in and knowledge of shapes, forms and use of tools.

After moving to Denmark in 1992, through his studies at Ranum Art School 1994-96, his wild temperament and a mind full of ideas, Zoran soon refused the classical education and decided to live in the countryside of northwestern Jutland, at a place called Kirsten Kjaers Museum. Here he found nature as the missing element in his artistic development.

Nature is the main focus in Zoran’s works. The creative processes in nature, such as growth, formation, concretion, splicing, twisting, becoming and disappearing, are a great inspiration to his work.

alExSaNdaR BENchWood, 30” x 80” x 30”

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JEFFREY GRippiNJeff Grippin was born and raised in the mountains, at the foothills of the Catskills, New York, in 1959. His interest in visual and performing arts began at an early age. He studied drama in college and then moved to Arizona to work as a welding apprentice. He returned to New York and attended Modern Welding School to further his education.

As the need to make a living was first and foremost, he took a job building bridges. After twelve years, in 1993, he decided to open his own welding business. Throughout the years, he has created art centric furniture and sculptures among other things, using new and recycled material for his projects.

What drives his passion for the sculpted art is the ability to create an image in his mind, then take a medium as unyielding as steel and coax it to that vision.

At this stage in his career he is able to focus more on his love for the art, and is excited to share his vision in the public art market.

oRBiT, TidE aNd TimEpainted steel and wood 90” x 90” x 72”

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GEoFF FEdERGeoff Feder is inspired by the constant development of the urban landscape and the contrast of progress with the natural world. Geoff juxtaposes industrial material with the fragile subject matter of birds and nature through the medium of welded metals. Graffiti is also a strong element in his work; the ever increasing tags create a sense of turmoil. It also represents the passing of time and the imprint of culture and visual language. Born and raised in NYC, he currently lives in Peekskill, NY.

ciTY piGEoN BENchMixed Media, 63” x 32” x 55”

hEllo ciTYAged Graffiti Pallet Wood 29” x 62” x 33”

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STEvEN ZaluSkiBorn and raised on Long Island and a graduate of Stony Brook University, Steven studied engineering and psychology and received his bachelors in Liberal Arts. He returned to Stony Brook University to continue his studies in education and sculpture. Zaluski creates sculptures of welded bronze or aluminum and has installed them nationally and internationally, including Hong Kong, Tokyo, England, France, Germany, Israel, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix, Grand Cayman, Australia and Canada.

Z chaiRPowder painted, welded aluminum 48” x 108” x 48”

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Mattituck High School Student Art Project

A new, exciting addition to our exhibition this year — a collaboration of professional artists with the Mattituck High School art class under the direction of their inspiring teacher Dina Rose. This unique class project challenged students to design and construct artful, personalized benches using snowboards as the main component.

Applying a ‘real world’ process to the project, the students were required to submit applications, write a biography and follow the same guidelines as the professional artists in this show. This process exposed the students to what it’s like to apply and exhibit in a real juried show. Six student artists entered works and six benches were chosen.

Peconic Landing is pleased to have worked with Dina and her students in this unique partnership. The project promotes art in schools and recognizes the importance of culture in the classroom. With tightening school budgets for the arts, Peconic Landing is donating a $250 gift to the project, which will be used for the purchase of materials as well as contribute to individual scholarships to students pursuing an art education after high school.

Dina has been an art teacher at Mattituck High School for six years. She strives to teach art with passion, knowing how powerful a tool it can be in self-discovery and in gaining a feeling of self-worth. Art is learned best in an environment that supports student interests and creative ideas, when the focus is balanced between the mastery of technique and the fearless experimentation to discover what materials can do.

As a teacher, Dina hopes to bring young people an experience of art that will touch them personally. By giving them the skills to use materials effectively, her students gain the confidents to use these skills to express their deeper self.

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JacklYN capichaNaAs a senior in high school soon moving on to college, art is definitely a release of stress and tension. Being able to create with your hands is a great way of relaying your feelings into what you create. Jacklyn plans on keeping art in her life in some way. For this project, assigned by Jacklyn’s art teacher, she was told to design a bench and to assemble the piece on their own. Jacklyn originally had a different design but things went wrong and she created a piece that reminds her of a non stressful environment. Using her favorite colors, the Garden Bench became a work of art.

GaRdEN BENchSnowboards & wood 47” x 25” x 42”

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maTThEw BERENZY1968 Mustang owner, car lover, and automotive hobbyist, Matthew Berezny creates a simple bench presenting the enthusiasm he has for the Ford Mustang. Mainly using wood, screws and various types of paint, the artist had created the bench with the notion that it was just for school. Aside from his love of both art and cars, his driving force to build this was his grades. His teacher at Mattituck High school, Ms. Rose, had asked his class to erect such sculptures. Although not entirely for this, he continually uses art as a way of freeing himself from the monotony of school and expands himself into this creative field as a way of expression. His sculpture therefore emphasizes his love of cars, and the year spent working on it with his father. One could say that the Ford Mustang shows a bond between him and his father. The bench celebrates his father who, for many hours, had worked on the car.

ThE muSTaNGSnowboards & wood

47” x 25” x 42”

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alExaNdRa klukoAs a recent graduate of Mattituck High School, Alexandra Kluko has participated in a diverse plethora of art classes during her high school career. In the sculpture class she participated in at the end of her senior year, Alex created her bench using two snowboards and 4X4s. While she admits she is not the greatest carpenter, she is pleased with the finished product which is inspired by the frigid winters she has experienced at her family’s log cabin located in southern Vermont. Alex plans to attend Endicott College in the fall to study Elementary Education. While enrolled in college, Alex hopes to add art electives to her schedule to keep the hobby a part of her life. She currently works at a local preschool where she helps toddlers and children, ranging from eighteen months to four years old, make different crafts based on weekly themes. She hopes to continue helping children create projects using their imagination in her classroom as a future teacher.

wiNTER woNdERlaNdSnowboards & wood 47” x 25” x 42”

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RYaN daBRowSkiRyan Dabrowski is a student in the tenth grade and lives locally on Long Is-land, New York. He got the inspiration for his bench from space and the vast amount of mystery behind it. He is mostly interested in modern space travel such as the design of reusable space shuttles that can be used to enter space multiple times unlike older versions which could only be used once. He thinks space travel is important because it could possibly lead to discoveries which could benefit the human race, such as an important resource or planet, although these discoveries probably won’t happen for several decades or even centuries. Although it isn’t his primary skill, he will always find it interesting to communicate with many people through art. For example his space bench could show you how he thinks the universe looks like or give you an idea of what another planet could look like.

SpacE BENchSnowboards & wood

47” x 25” x 42”

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ZullY pEREZZully’s obsession with cheetah print influenced the design of her bench. She was born in Guatemala and moved to Long Island at the age of nine. Zully is currently a senior at Mattituck Jr. / Sr. High School. She plans on going to Farmingdale State College where she would like to focus on social work. She has taken several art classes throughout her high school. Art has taught her to use many different mediums and new techniques. Zully has taken Studio Art, Drawing, Fashion, Ceramics and Sculpture. She created this bench in her sculpture class. The bench was fun to design; her favorite part of the design is the cheetah face. Zully is hoping to take some art classes in the future and continue to use the techniques she has learned in her high school art classes.

chEETah BENchSnowboards & wood 47” x 25” x 42”

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puliTh pEiRiSPulith was born in Sri Lanka and moved to Long Island when he was 4 years old. He is currently in 10th grade and enrolled in a three dimensional sculpture art class. Pulith hopes to pursue art outside of school by creating artworks in his spare time. He will most likely create artworks that are non-objective and more related to artwork similar to illusion. The optical art period appeals to him the most due to the intricate pattern each art piece contained. The optical artwork fascinates Pulith because the patterns pop out creating a three dimensional feature. Pulith was inspired to create illusion because of his fascination with optical art. He tried to create a three dimension effect by drawing hexagons uniformly and having two distinct colors, black and white, as the main layout within each hexagon.

illuSioNSnowboards & wood

47” x 25” x 42”

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Homage to NovaOne visit to the Ark Project and you are immediately taken in by the spirit and peacefulness of the expansive sculpture park. You are moved not only by the vastness, but also how the environment becomes one with Nova’s art and how the art becomes one with the environment. With gratitude to Tundra and Luna, for keeping the spirit alive and entrusting Peconic Landing with two of Nova’s works, we honor his spirit and marvel how simply his work blends with nature. In 1993, Nova founded the Ark Project to express his concept of Integral Art, a unification of sculpture, painting, architecture, philosophy and nature. This is true in every one of his works no matter where they rest.

Nova, mihai popa (1928-2009)Mihai Popa, known simply as Nova, was an artist of indomitable spirit, generosity and vision. His lifelong dream of coming to America from his native Romania nearly cost his life as he crossed two heavily guarded borders to reach freedom. “Several times in life I was about to meet death. Each time I was spared, and each time I gained in courage, understanding and thankfulness. I want to do something phenomenal for humanity; I want to return the incredible gift I received.”

The gift was returned by creation of Nova’s Ark Project, a 95 acre sculpture park, and gallery complex in Bridgehampton, New York. The alfresco museum features more than 50 of Nova’s trademark monumental steel sculptures; it has become an attraction for art lovers, the permanent home of ArtHamptons International (July 11-14, 2013), and a sought-after destination for fundraisers, weddings and other special events. In addition to the massive outdoor works, Nova created smaller outdoor pieces like ‘Spiral’ and ‘Galaxy’ (now on view at Brecknock Hall), colorful bas-relief murals, and indoor sculptures. A one-man show of Nova’s sculptures will take place at Wellington Fine Art (New York and Westhampton) July and August 2013.

“My mission as an artist is to put as much spirit as I can into matter. Although I love painting, I developed a powerful desire to carve in steel because of its elemental, cosmic quality…I love the challenge of taking this raw, resistant, independent and proud material and making it vibrate with human spirit…I want to create sculpture that represents the eternal dreams of humans and explores the sacred relation between man and cosmos…art that leads us to places where we’re reminded of our greatness, places where we perceive again our majesty.”

Nova’s Ark Project is open to the public at select times during summer and fall for tours, concerts and special events, and for private viewings by appointment. For open hours or event schedule go to www.novasarkproject.com or email ark@optonline.net.

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SpiRalPainted steel 90” x 102” x 18”

GalaxYSteel

90” x 84” x 108”

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aRdEN ScoTTSailor, Guggenheim Fellow and artist, Arden Scott creates graceful, peaceful boats that seem to evoke an ancient tribe of Indians building their own crafts by the sea, preparing to fish or perhaps explore. Steel, copper or whatever material Arden uses becomes elastic and seems to effortlessly take any shape she chooses. Her artwork has been shown in galleries, museums, public spaces and outdoor sites all over the world. When not working in her studio in Greenport, NY, Arden is often sailing her 28’ wooden schooner “Annie” that she built for herself.

a FoRmER EquiNoxSteel

329” x 60” x 84”

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mikE haNSElSculptor and Art Educator, Mike Hansel, has been actively producing contemporary art work for over 30 years. Living most of his life in New England, he currently resides in Newport, RI where he teaches visual art and chairs the art department at St. George’s School. His large scale metal sculptures reside in many private collections, and he has installed numerous large scale public works in museum venues and college campus sites across the country. Mike Hansel has become known for his ability to create highly crafted, organic sculpture that contradict what we might expect from such rigid, industrial materials.

haRd kNockSSteel

108” x 44” x 84”

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Jack howaRd-poTTERMotivated by his study of human anatomy and movement, Jack Howard-Potter works with steel to create large scale figurative sculptures. He has permanent and long-term displays in sculpture parks, municipalities and galleries across the country from Blaine, Washington to Marco Island, Florida. He is continually studying the human form, often sketching at dance rehearsals. Jack resides in New York City with his wife, Erica, daughter Skylar, and son Lyndon.

poNdRaTGalvanized and powder coated steel 168” x 72” x 48”

wallwalkERGalvanized and powder coated steel 120” x 84” x 103”

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RoB loRENSoNRob’s studio is in Somerset, Massachusetts. He received his MFA from the University of Northern Iowa. A professor of sculpture at Bridgewater State College, Rob’s work is in collections and galleries around the world. “The elements of my work exist in suspended animation. They are situated as though to freeze a moment in time in which they exist effortlessly in space. The work is constructed of sturdy, permanent materials that allow this to happen but yet is in contradiction to the impermanent sense of the composition. These forms have boldness and exactness that are inspired by the martial arts where grace and precision are practiced until they are effortless.”

TapER dEcoStainless Steel

96” x 96” x 42”

ScoRpioNStainless Steel

96” x 96” x 72”

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aviTal oZAvital Oz was born in 1942 on Kibbutz Mishmar Haemek in Israel. He attended Avni Institute of Fine Arts in Tel Aviv. In 1967 Oz left Israel to pursue his art studies in Mexico under the tutelage of Siqueiros and later moved to the USA to continue his education and career at The School of Visual Arts in New York and Yale University School of Art & Architecture. He has shown work at OK Harris in Manhattan and Art Sites in Riverhead among others worldwide. He divides his life & effort between his own work and teachings in the Americas, Europe and the Middle East.

liNkaGESteel 360” x 72” x 72”

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STEvEN ZaluSkiGrafitti by the artist in the form of carved drawings, written words and sayings on the metal, under and shining through the paint...inspired by my Jazz Series...colorful and kinetic fun! Zaluski is included in the Play Art Movement.

Born and raised on Long Island and a graduate of Stony Brook University, Steven studied engineering and psychology and received his bachelors in Liberal Arts. He returned to Stony Brook University to continue his studies in education and sculpture. Zaluski creates sculptures of welded bronze or aluminum and has installed them nationally and internationally, including Hong Kong, Tokyo, England, France, Germany, Israel, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix, Grand Cayman, Australia and Canada.

RaiNBow ToTEmPowder painted, welded aluminum

108” x 48”’ x 48”

cElEBRaTioNWelded bronze 84” x 48” x 48”

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RoBERT STRimBaN“Every new sculpture is a challenge and an uncharted adventure. Although I create sculptures in many materials, my favorite is aluminum. These I call my ‘light machines.’ With Solitude I hoped to express that inner exquisite peace I experience when I am alone with nature. Those precious moments are so fleeting that it leaves me with a deep feeling of sweet sadness. My choices of aluminum and my relationship of forms create an instrument for the changing light to play my song of solitude.”

SoliTudEAluminum 96” x 33” x 30”

AcknowledgementsA project of this magnitude – including the installation of an outdoor sculpture exhibition with many monumental works, this publication, and the opening event – is only possible

with the support and expertise of those we gratefully acknowledge:

The Peconic Landing Art Committee for their dedication and wisdom, especially the Outdoor Living Gallery / The Rest Is Art sculpture garden committee including distinguished members Richard Mizdal, Fay Moore, Jean Shaw and Vivian Sheehan.

Thank you for all your help with the selection and siting process.• • • • • • • • • •

The Peconic Landing Sponsor Board, Building and Grounds Committee and the Brecknock Hall Foundation for continued support.

• • • • • • • • • •

East End Arts, the premier nonprofit group for the support of the performing and visual arts in the region, director Pat Snyder and the Board of Directors,

for their energy and educational programs throughout the year.• • • • • • • • • •

Poet and author Joe McKay for his gracious essay about The Rest Is Art, inviting us to sit and enjoy the benches. No piece of art is finished, Joe says, until it has been experienced.

• • • • • • • • • •

Matko Tomicic, internationally renowned curator of the outdoor masterpiece, the Long House Reserve, for siting guidance.

• • • • • • • • • •

Judges from our past exhibitions and long time friends of the arts and Peconic Landing including Tod Berks, Peter Reginato, Charles Riley, Tundra and Luna from Nova’s Ark Project.

• • • • • • • • • •

Pat Lutzky, Peconic Landing Vice President of Resident Services, for remaining a driving force and inspiration throughout the project.

• • • • • • • • • •

Curator Dominic Antignano for his continued artistic vision and tenacity.• • • • • • • • • •

Our sculpture garden is made possible by the continued support and generosity of the Laura P. Winship Fund and Bridgehampton National Bank, both friends of arts for all.

Special thanks to all the art lovers at the Sicilian Pizzeria for their help.

Peconic Landing is a proud member of the International Sculpture Center and East End Arts.

1500 Brecknock Road • Greenport, NY 11944631-477-3800 • 888-273-2664

www.peconiclanding.org