Dans Papers - June 1, 2007 - "Studio As Muse" at the Parrish Art Museum

An artist's studio is a place of creation and, at times, frustration. Although the studio is used as a space for production, it can become a second home and one must feel a sense of comfort. The interior and exterior of the structure, art materials, personal collections and objects should form a source of inspiration - at least this is how I feel about my new studio!

The Parrish Art Museum of Southampton seeks to explore the studio space and the important role it plays in the lives of artists. "Studio As Muse" highlights this concept by intertwining three powerful exhibitions - "Herzog & de Meuron's Design for the New Parrish," "Fairfield Porter: Inside and Outside the Artist's Studio," "The Studio in Miniature: Joe Fig."

It was founded by Samuel Longstreth, a prominent member of a Philadelphia Quaker family who sought to create a community exhibition hall as construction of the wooden structure commenced in the summer of 1897. Due to Parrish's extensive travels and collection of Italian Renaissance art and Classical Greek and Roman sculptural replicas, the space housed his collection and introduced the East End community to such works of culture. In the following years additions occurred including a concert hall, a wing of galleries and an arboretum. The museum design and construction spanned over twenty years and was headed by Southampton resident and architect, Grosvenor Atterbury.

Let's fast forward to 2007. The "Herzog & de Meuron's Design for the New Parrish" component of the "Studio As Muse" exhibition displays new design plans of these Switzerland based architects and Pritzker Architecture Prize recipients, as new galleries and additions to the museum will come to fruition by 2009. The works of Herzog and de Meuron have international recognition and The Parrish Art Museum chose their vision because it holds sensitivity to the East End geographic surroundings and culture for which the structure is designed, specifically inspired by the pristine East End artistic heritage and lighting. Jacques Herzog, as quoted on the Parrish Museum website, states, "We are delighted to have been selected to work on the new building for The Parrish Art Museum. It will be an exciting challenge to develop the project for its new site. We look forward to working closely with the Parrish team to create new spaces for their collection and new facilities for innovative programs of the future."

To enhance the Herzog and de Meuron's installation, the exhibition provides two additional lenses in response to the artist's studio. "Fairfield Porter: Inside and Outside the Artist's Studio" exhibition charts the life and works of the famed East End artist. Porter (1907-1975) thrived in his Southampton studio - an old stable behind the Southampton home where he and his family lived for over 25 years. Serving as a source of inspiration, Porter's experiential works depicted the beautiful surroundings as seen through his studio. His body of work also explored another perspective of his studio as he painted the exterior in observance through his house. Works on view are compiled of the Parrish Art Museum's permanent collection along with works on loan from private collectors. It's apparent that Porter's spirit lives on in his beloved Southampton.

The third exhibition, "The Studio in Miniature: Joe Fig," examines the artist's studio from an outsider's perspective. Fig, a Long Island based artist, recreates the artist's studio on a smaller scale through sculptural replicas and installations. Educated at the School of Visual of Arts in New York City, Fig received both his BFA and MFA degrees and has a laundry list of exhibitions under his belt, specifically drawing inspiration from living and deceased East End artists such as Jackson Pollack, Chuck Close and the shared studios of April Gornik and Eric Fischl. Fig meticulously reconstructs the studios in grave detail, giving the viewers the experience of looking inside the artist's creative space. Investigating both the interior studio happenings and exterior structures, Fig truly combines fine art and architecture through various media such as sculptures, paintings and photography.

The exhibition runs from June 3 to August 5 at The Parrish Art Museum, located at 25 Jobs Lane in Southampton. The summer hours (from June 1 to September 15) are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Adults pay $7, seniors and students pay $5 and children under 18 have free admittance. Events and special programs may have an additional fee. For more information, call 631-283-2118.