Dan's Papers - August 17, 2007 - Grounds For Sculpture

When thinking of lawn sculptures, one often conjures up the image of a young boy with wings chiseled out in stone, tinkling into grandma's plastic pond full of overfed goldfish. Now, far be it from me to devalue the nostalgia of the plastic pink flamingo, but when carefully selected and creatively placed, sculptures can enhance your landscape, rather than stand out like a pimple on prom night.

A good rule to keep in mind is that it's not difficult, or impressive, to find a piece that stands out. Anyone looking to draw attention can place a traffic cone from Montauk Highway in the center of their flowerbeds and call it art. The real trick is getting the piece to compliment its surroundings, so that it looks like its been placed there by nature.

A great place to start is Vered Gallery in East Hampton, which offers a wide variety of pieces. One bluestone sculpture, "Ginnetoy II" by Boaz Vaadia, is a particularly stunning human-sized figure resting against a large rock. Seeing it, you could almost imagine the stone man being placed along the side of a quiet pond, his feet grazing the waterline.

Calling Bill Durham will score you an appointment with the artist in his Amagansett studio. There you will find an array of sculptures both freestanding and wall mounted. My personal favorite is a wall mounted aluminum piece, "Surfing." The piece has been cut to reflect the movement of the Atlantic air and sea, while dozens of acrylic shades add to the energy of the shore. It's easy to imagine such a piece on the side of a small bungalow out in Ditch Plains.

Of course, there are those of us on the East End who, true to the American spirit, believes that bigger is better.

If you are familiar with the local waterways, you have likely seen the 40 ft. wire bird on the shore of Paradise Point in Southold, known locally as "The Heron." Creator Robert Julio Bessin, justifying its size, told reporters that "it's awesome and majestic, you can imagine what a little fish might feel."

After an arduous attempt by the Town of Southold to remove Bessin's work, "The Heron" continues to stand proudly along Paradise Point, playing with the Sun's light as its reflection and shadow mingle across the Shelter Island Sound.

Bessin's work has since spread to Greenport Village, where "Morning Call," a 45 ft. perched osprey, stands and to a private residence on Shelter Island, home to a 16ft wire egret.

For those who don't own acres of waterfront property, or fear that our shorelines may begin to resemble a scene from Alfred Hitchcock, there are plenty smaller, equally pleasing pieces to adorn your property. Beyond the massive sculptures on display at Longhouse Reserve in East Hampton, are intimate works that blend with the landscape so well, they may be overlooked by the undiscerning eye.

Dale Chihuly's "Optic Pods" were small spheres of rust-colored blown glass that shot up from the ground amongst Japanese Maples. Chihuly's temporary installation seemed to be an extension of the soil and was a refreshing alternative to the omnipresent "garden globe."

Lining the edge of Longhouse's "Red Garden" are freestanding wood posts, painted bright red. This do-it-yourself project enhances the colors of azaleas, tulips and rose beds when in bloom, and brilliantly echoes the evening sky or changing autumn leaves.

It's always fun to incorporate your children and grandchildren into your home decorating. Simple artistic projects such as laying out a rock garden from the stones collected along the shore or creating a small beach glass mural on the side of your garden shed will add a personal touch to your home. Granted, some of the things you and your family come up with may not match your patio set, but allowing kids to express themselves gives them a greater sense of creativity and involvement in your home. It is important that we share our love of art and natural beauty with youth, to prevent future generations from falling into the trap of bird feeders and pink flamingos.