“Bodies Of Work” To Explore The Human Figure

Bodies of Work, a three-day art exhibit coming to Ashawagh Hall in East Hampton, will showcase the work of many talented East End artists and their enchantment with the artistic nature of the human body.

“The human body endures as an iconic artistic expression and source of inspiration because of its ability to capture the complexity of the human condition and reflect our emotions, thoughts, dreams and nightmares,” Setha Low noted. “As part of this rich tradition, East End artists fascinated by the figure have come together to present their work in a range of mediums and represented through both abstracted and painting and photography encourage the viewer to reconsider the figure and its artistic impact in various ways.” 

Artists whose work will be exhibited at the Bodies of Work show include, Mary Antczak, Linda Capello, Ellen Dooley, Setha Low, Louise Peabody, Camille Perrottet, Gabriele Raacke, Doug Reina, Alison Seiffer, Frank Sofo, Peter Solow and Victor Vaccaro.

“Art that focuses on the human body has the capacity to remind us of who we are and the universal aspects of our feelings, movements, values, and deepest concern in a political moment when a sense of unity is needed,” Low added. “Even in our differences, diversity of forms, and types of artistic expression, the body—as a metaphor and materiality—brings us back to ourselves responding to the human need to recognize each other as social beings, intricately tied to one another.  These ‘bodies of work’ portray our humanness through varying techniques and artistic reference, hoping that one of these images and imaginings will speak to the viewer.”

Bodies of Work will be on display from Friday, June 21 through Sunday, June 23, with a special event occurring on Saturday, June 22.

The exhibition is challenging the community to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the artistic nature of the human body by bringing out their inner artist.

By donating a small fee of ten dollars, community members will have the unique opportunity of drawing a live model. Through this activity each attendee will try and capture the intricacies of the human body in their own personal sketch. The model will sit on Saturday, June 22, from 2 to 4 p.m., and high school students will be allowed free admission.

Bodies of Work organizers hope this experience will open the eyes of community members to all the opinions, feelings, dreams and nightmares the human body has to offer artistically.

Each artist captures different characteristics of the human body in their art pieces showcased at Bodies of Work. Every piece will challenge attendees to understand the complexities that are conveyed through the artist’s work and deepen their artistic knowledge of the human body.

Ashawagh Hall is located at 780 Springs Fireplace Road in East Hampton. For more information, visit ashawagh-hall.org.