by Abby Luby
September 2009
Sculpture parks are popular because of the wonderful way art accents the landscape under the ever changing light of the sky. If you take it one step further and exhibit art on a working farm, to be appreciated by both people and animals, and it just makes you giddy.
Now you, the cows and horses, can co-mingle while taking in 60 fantastic outdoor works of art on the 140-acre 18th century farm is just off a dirt road in Garrison. The farm is owned by art aficionado Sandy Saunders. In its third year, this show is put on by
Collaborative Concepts, a professional arts group who has attracted local and New York artists as well as artists from all over the world, to come and create site-specific art for the endless pastures here in the Hudson Highlands.
This free show runs through October 31st and is open to the public during the day. At the recommended, leisurely pace, you could spend a good two hours to take in the superb, diverse work.
Lyrically dotting the first hill up from the entry way is Tom Holmes piece of chard wood "Figures + 3 Abstracts." Close by is Doc Dochterman's "Retro Metropolis," a metal, cubist collage. The inventive "MOO," by Jodi Carlson has an abstract, steel bovine lurking under an elegant round spire, tinkling chimes dangling just under the beasts' tail.
David Provan's "T House" colorfully slices the hillside, and Matthew Kinney's "Shed with Wooden Saw" is a larger-than-life wood shed replete with giant hand saw.
Brilliantly playing with perspective is "Herd of Cows Wall" by Ann Huibregtse who's clever wall of black cows appears reaching back on the field. Sarah Haviland's "Phoenix" is a bright collage with furniture parts huddled under a wired, idol figure.
Strung over a low hanging large tree branch is the seemingly dripping "Garrison II" by C. Michael Norton, a work made of hemp and covered with white plaster. In a glen of standing trees Lise Prown and Curt Belshe have hung varied hued plates of macro, digital images of wildlife called "Wildlife Management Part I." Just beyond is the farm's watering hole for the cows who might be surprised to find Tom Faulkner's "The Waterfall," a floating carpet of used recycled plastic bottles, bottoms facing up, each colored differently.
Well known artist Grace Knowlton created the simplistic but perfectly placed "Rusty Twisty Form" not far from Jim Lloyd's "Bipolar Prominences," a menagerie of welded exhaust pipes. A surprise group of steel corsets hang tall from Herman Roggerman's "Steel, Lead, Mixed media."
The show runs through October 31st and visitors can bring a picnic and hang out from 10 am to dusk. There is a mid-run reception, Saturday October 10th from 2-6pm with live music and a chance to meet some of the artists.
Sculptures Grace Garrison Farm Through October
The Putnam Examiner
September 28, 2009
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1983
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