Antique Barn Art Show Opens with Style in Southampton

Last weekend, Collette's Antique Barn was overflowing with artists, art collectors, surfers, students and all of the young glitterati of the Hamptons - and they were all buzzing about what's inside. Instead of the usual smattering of brass-knobbed beds and model sailboats, the Antique Barn was quite literally filled to the rafters with the art of Matisse Patterson, Herbie Fletcher and Sven Hokanson. Although the curator, Tripoli Patterson, is better known as a surfing superstar than an artist, this finely tuned show is a testament to his aesthetic sense and keen eye.

On the first floor, Matisse Patterson's early mixed media work welcomes visitors with its bright colors and multilayered texture. Esoteric, headless forms present themselves in this room for the first time, outlined in grey and surrounded by bright, demanding color. However, the most powerful work in here is also the most benign - "Icy Hot," a simple scene of a young woman and man embracing on a beach. Using a collage technique reminiscent of the later work of her namesake, the artist layers what appears to be a large film negative with biomorphic shapes cut from bright neon paper and painted forms punctuated by thin strips of fluorescence. From afar, the piece appears to be a lively abstraction set on a glossy black background. It is only when the viewer chooses to move closer to the piece that it reveals the tender love scene delicately captured on the seemingly black film, highlighted by the brightly colored layers beneath them.

Upstairs, Matisse's work deepens as the attic-like space lends context to some of the artist's more introspective pieces. "Through the Windows," a quiet moment between the viewer and the artist as an infant, sitting on her beautiful young mother's lap, is reproduced from a photograph, slightly shaded by a striated curtain of subdued pinks, purples and blues. Matisse's mastery of color is evident here, as the golden skin tones' warm highlights are intensified by the surrounding color. Her mother's eyes are all the more piercing set against the blue paint. Although the artist is pictured as a child, it seems as if she now identifies with the young mother, whose expression reflects each viewers wonder and warmth towards the work with its protective yet welcoming gaze.

The attic also houses some of Matisse's more experimental work, such as "Mechanical Natural," which consists of a cast of the artist's arm and face, suspended by lifeless flowers from a rustic cherry frame. This piece serves as an interesting object upon which to rest your eyes between dramatic colorscapes. Opposite from this object and scattered through out the gallery, Matisse's whimsical metal sculptures lead the viewer to more experimentation in gnarled wood, found objects and haunting images.

One of these, "Water," returns to her fascination with the headless human form, yet this piece is more mature in its execution than those on the first floor. This nude figure, distorted in a fashion reminiscent of Egon Schiele, slumps in its pallor, the wooden board on which it is painted raggedly destroyed where its head should be. With edges and a shape that resemble a shark bite or similar horror, this piece is both poignant and stomach-turning, begging the viewer to report an atrocity that they did not witness, rendering them helpless and intrigued.

Perhaps this piece was also meant as a darkly humorous segue to Herbie Fletcher's paint-splashed surfboards, which stand almost grazing the ceiling of the next attic room. Untitled and haphazardly rendered, these abstract surfboards are an interesting addition to the show and make the viewer wonder if one could actually surf on them. If the paint washed off, would it be a defacing of the work? Or the natural destruction of a piece made by an artist whose career was inspired by the ocean's power?

Downstairs, Fletcher's true talent is realized, as his photographs cover the walls with surfers dwarfed by massive waves and other watery scenes. The most poignant piece, an intimate scene of a nude island girl diving into the calm of the reef, pulls the viewer into a secret underwater world, where Gauguin's island Madonna has escaped his canvasses, washed her caramel skin clean of his Fauve colors and entered the world of contemporary photography, yet retained her painted poise beneath deep washes of sepia color. As in all of the show's works, the piece reflects both youthful vibrance and wisdom - a rare combination that makes the Antique Barn Art Show an important exhibit to attend this season.

- Sabrina C. Mashburn

The Show will run until Sept. 15 at 116 North Sea Road in Southampton. For more information, call (631) 903-9220 or email Trip@edgewoodgoodies.com.

Back to Contents