Dans Papers - May 18, 2007 -Jack Larsen

Before the advent of central heating, fabric wall hangings were the most popular form of artwork to have in your home. Not only were they beautiful, they also insulated their owners from the chill of winter. Once heating technology progressed past the open flame, however, paintings and sculptures became more popular forms of expression -- and fabrics lost their place as anything more than material for making clothing, drapes and bedcovers. Centuries later, fabric would begin an ascent to the podium of fine art once again, aided by a Seattle artist named Jack Lenor Larsen.

Jack Larsen was born in that city in 1927. Although he studied architecture at the University of Washington, he soon began to experiment with weaving. By 1949, he had opened his first studio, concentrating entirely on the artistic potential of woven cloth. The next year, Larsen moved his studio to New York City, where he continued to experiment with techniques and textures. Soon, Larsen earned the distinction of being the nation's foremost expert on fabrics and weaving. In 1958, he was named Consultant to the State Department for grass weaving projects in Taiwan and Vietnam, giving him both national prestige and the opportunity to study techniques from all over the world. For the next twenty years, Larsen traveled across the globe working as an exhibition curator and artist and serving as the President of the American Craft Council, serving on many boards intent on advancing the art of weaving.

In 1991, Jack Lenor Larsen established the LongHouse Foundation in East Hampton, adding another dimension to his already multi-faceted career. The purpose of the LongHouse is to "exemplify living with art in all forms." The base of the LongHouse Foundation, the LongHouse Reserve, is Larsen's own property in East Hampton, which he purchased in 1975. Although he purchased the property for himself, from the beginning, he remembers that he "built LongHouse to share with the public," as "the Foundation is actually older than the house" itself. As soon as it was built, Larsen began to use the property as an outdoor gallery for his growing art collection. "I had some of the pieces even while I was building the house." Once the building was completed, the grounds were dotted with the work of the most celebrated sculptors of the modern and contemporary eras. Larsen's collection is more eclectic than most other American sculpture gardens and the artist attributes this to his experiences while traveling. "The fact that I was working all over the world and producing fabrics in 60 countries influenced my collection," he explained. "I started buying pieces in those techniques with which I was unfamiliar." A walk at the LongHouse Reserve is not only an homage to the modern art produced in and around New York during Larsen's career, but also a place where the work of artists from all different cultures is arranged to complement and enhance the natural beauty of the East Hampton landscape.

Jack Larsen had been coming out to the Hamptons long before he purchased the house, however. He remembers that, in 1950, he was "a frequent guest on the beach in Amagansett," where artists from New York City would congregate to enjoy the open space and release from societal pressure the Hamptons provided. Larsen explained that, he had "just arrived in New York and was suddenly with artists and collectors and art dealers." Before he purchased the property that was to become the Longhouse Reserve, he was a houseguest of a dealer in modern painting -- Bertha Schaefer. Now a legendary dealer in her own right, Larsen remembers that, "Schaefer's artists included a number of Hamptons artists, such as Will Barrett, Jimmy Ernst -- most of them seemed to be in the Hamptons." The proximity of the Hamptons to the vibrant art world of New York City, and its naturally calming effect on its residents, inspired Larsen to spend more than just the hot summer days in Amagansett. Even before he purchased the LongHouse property, "I came here year-round." When he was living abroad, Larsen remembers how he would "fly in from all over the world, just to spend the weekends in the Hamptons." "I finally figured out," he explained, "that if I wasn't living on the beach, or in the country near the beach, my life and work would not be as rich and full as it could be."

Sixteen years after the LongHouse Foundation was formed, it has taken on a character of its own, its prominence in the artistic and local community growing to match the reputation of its founder. Although Jack Larsen had always envisioned the LongHouse Reserve as a place where people could come to enjoy his beautiful collection of sculptures, "the surprise was the performing arts component," he explained. Each Saturday, people gather among the sculptures to listen to Sound Meditation, perform yoga and learning to use music as a way to enrich their lives. And although adults enjoy the fruits of Larsen's labor, he credits "the 1,600 children that spend a day or more there" as "the most dynamic, relatively new aspect" of all his endeavors with the LongHouse Reserve. In keeping with the spirit of blending artistic properties with daily life, the LongHouse Reserve also offers up some of its land for the children to farm. "We have a squash festival in September," Larsen said with pride. "The schoolchildren are given tickets and they also get guest tickets for their parents. The children love to be in that leadership position," he explained, "and the parents like it, too." Of course, when a child comes to the home of the greatest fabric artist of our time, they must also learn the importance of weaving and producing handmade works of self-expression. Larsen added, "We're hoping this year to start them on very simple weaving. In September, we also hope to have a festival and show the work they've done over the summer." In this way, not only has Jack Larsen ensured that the work of the past and present has a place, where it will be cared for and displayed with care, but also that the young artists and future collectors, dealers and philanthropists have a place where their talents and work can grow under the skilled and caring tutelage of Jack Lenor Larsen, the founder of the contemporary fabric arts movement and the East End art world's most dedicated champion.