“A Day At The Beach” by Eric Fischl
Where: Guild Hall
When: July 17–September 1
Why It’s Worth a Look: Painter, sculptor, and longtime Sag Harbor resident Eric Fischl travels south of the highway to exhibit at East Hampton’s Guild Hall. In his new interactive work, the public is invited to create their own “paintings” by moving pre-cut magnetic figures across a painted seaside landscape—one way to enjoy a day at the beach without bringing home any sand.
Know Before You Go: Fischl is deeply embedded in the Sag Harbor arts scene, having grown up on Long Island and helped found the local arts organization the Church.
“Draw Me A Clock” by Claire Oswalt
Where: Broadway at 87 Newtown Lane, East Hampton
When: July 27–September 1
Why It’s Worth a Look: Can’t sleep? Neither can Claire Oswalt. Inspired by her own insomnia, the Austin-based artist began painting abstract clock faces on canvases, alluding to the popular clock-drawing that doctors administer to test for brain dysfunction. The result is rhythmically charged images that are closer to dreams than waking nightmares.
Know Before You Go: Of the works, Oswalt writes, “The pictures themselves are in no way resolutions, but possibly an attempt to see more."
“Women Laughing Salad” by Pablo Barba
Where: A Hug From the Art World at 87 Newtown Lane, East Hampton
When: July 27–August 31
Why It’s Worth a Look: Inspired by the meme “Woman Laughing Alone With Salad,” Pablo Barba humorously illustrates the possibilities extended by a single prompt. In his third exhibition with the gallery, the artist's oil paintings astutely comment on the endless production and nonsensical mutation of images generated by A.I.
Know Before You Go: Influenced by 17th-century geselschapje Dutch paintings, Barba’s work treads on the boundary of gluttony and chaos as he overlaps historical archetypes of figurative painting with themes from digital culture.
“All The Things” curated by Erika Ranee
Where: The Arts Center at Duck Creek
When: July 13–August 11
Why It’s Worth a Look: Six creatives blur the boundaries of their surfaces in this group exhibition. Refusing to abide by the definition of painting, artists including Mike Cloud, Jeanne Reynal, and Leeza Meksin reconfigure stretcher bars—traditional materials of support—to serve as key focal elements in the artwork.
Know Before You Go: The Arts Center at Duck Creek is situated in Springs, East Hampton, a creative enclave that artists like Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, and Willem de Kooning once called home.
“Castaway” by Ho Jae Kim
Where: Harper’s
When: August 10–September 11
Why It’s Worth a Look: The 2000 movie Cast Away serves as the basis for Ho Jae Kim’s investigation into the relationship between artists, their work, and their studios. Though an unlikely choice, the movie allows Kim to view his own studio as a kind of deserted island, offering both solace and exile to the artist as he contemplates the nature of his craft.
Know Before You Go: Of the exhibition, Kim writes, “Artists desire to be rescued in some way or form ... However, parallel to the desire to escape, the island also has beautiful elements that keep artists in their studios. A studio is a place of nourishment and hardship, where satisfaction and anxiety are perpetual.”
“Ten Artists & Ten Haeff”
Where: Onna House
When: July 20–September 3
Why It’s Worth a Look: The sculptures of seven women artists, including Lisbeth McCoy and Mia Fonssagrives-Solow, and the environmental works of three more—Jill Musnicki, Marie Lorenz, and Mary Mattingly—come together in Onna House’s vast sculpture, painting, and garden show, spanning the property. Additionally, the stunning early paintings of German postwar painter Ingeborg ten Haeff will be making a rare public appearance.
Know Before You Go: Ten Haeff, the show’s namesake, was once married to the original architect of Onna House, Paul Lester Wiener.
“Little Images” by Han Qin
Where: Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center
When: July 13–October 31
Why It’s Worth a Look: In reference to Lee Krasner’s “Little Image” paintings of the 1940s, Han Qin executes her own search for “home” through a series of drawings, sculptures, paintings, installations, and personal artifacts. Exploring home as a domain of both refuge and restraint, Qin’s work evokes the cultural and artistic dilemma of belonging.
Know Before You Go: The exploration of the meaning of home is doubly poignant here, as the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center is the real-life former residence of artists (and husband and wife) Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner.
