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Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Bunshaft 32 Georgia Close, East Hampton Principal Hostess: Jeanette Rattiner After circling the leafy grandeur of a giant beech tree that extends over the driveway, the house of the architect, Gordon Bunshaft and Mrs. Bunshaft, comes as an elegant little surprise - low, rectanglar, classic in its contemporariness. It commands a wide vista of greens, Georgica Pond and the cut to the ocean beyond. The massive sculptures' concept had always been for that particular place. Giacometti's tall woman competes with the slender birches she stands among. Miro, Henry MOore, Noguchi entice the eye to their leafy surroundings. Everything about the home and grounds reflects the artistry and impeccable taste of this famous architect and his wife Mr. Bunshaft, who designed such outstanding buildings as Lever House, New York; Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo, N.Y.; the Joseph H. Hirshborn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C., has won many awards, among them, the Brenner Award, National Institute of Arts and Letters; and the Medal of Honor, N.Y. Chapter, American Institute of Architects. Elaine de Kooning 45 Alewive Brook Road, East Hampton Principal Hostess Mary Baron Enter through the studio where you will meet Elaine De Kooning whose talents are many and large. One of her most surprising interests has been a penchant for sports art. As a consequence, it turns up in her work again and again. As a result of the "Sports in Art" show at the National Portrait Galleries in Washington, D.C., she was entertained at the White House by President and Mrs. Reagan. Intermittently with the sports figures of the fifties she was involved with abstract bronzes which may be seen above the studio sink and elsewhere as you proceed. You will notice sketches of John F. Kennedy (the paintings resulting from this portrait sitting are now in the Truman and Kennedy Libraries) for which commission Elaine de Kooning was a resident at the Palm Beach White House from December of '62 through January '63. Also very visible are statuary are of massive grey heroic shapes surrounded by foliage. The relationship with reality is almost lost. Look for the staircase leading from the upper studio to the lower painting area where the north light window terminates. This lower area adjoins her assistant's (Tom Ferrara) studio and quarters and the workshop where stretchers, frames and household furniture ideas and/or repairs can be handled. Refreshments are on the deck off the office area. Richard Hall 5 Neck Path, Springs (1st driveway on left) Principal Hostess: Aurella Allen The new contemporary house that Richard Hall designed for his family, with its cathedral ceilings, white walls and large picture windows, serves as an excellent background for his paintings and fine collection of early American 18th century furniture. The delicate "deportment" expressionist in the early fifties, he feels that for himself a more realistic style of painting better expresses his perception of the world. His still lifes consist primarily of objects from his home, and he uses a painting technique which is based on northern Renaissance painting. Layers of paint are superimposed on one another and what starts out as a warm color ends up as a cool color and vice versa. Four paintings on the living room wall symbolize the four seasons of the four stages of life, and are derived from ancient oriental culture. Mr. Hall has exhibited widely throughout the country, and his recent one man show in Washington, D.C., was a complete sell-out Mr. Hall is married to a concern pianist, Edith Snow Hall, and they have two college age daughters. Mr. Hall is presently an associate professor at Pratt Institute, New York. Hans Hokanson Highway to Phoebe Scoys, East Hampton Principal Hostess: Martha Lisser Hans Hokanson lives in an unusual house with his wife Barbara and their son Bengt who is twelve. Barbara is the originator of the "Barbara Hokanson" sweaters which are so visible in our area and the better New York stores. There is all about this house an ambiance which speaks of a great love of wood and is probably related to Hans' early life in Sweden. Certainly it shows itself in his not quite abstract sculpture. The original house was becoming small and this seemed the perfect time to wrap it in a solar envelope. It has lost none of its original charm. The north side is a double wall with an insulating air space of about one foot in width. Five big vents in the north roof accomplish air cooling in summer when the collectors in winter with the vents closed. This open air studio in the back of the house is traversed by a two and a half ton pulley system with a working pit below it of about 16" depth, enabling the sculptor to gain as much as two feet additional accessibility to the large wood pieces which then can be worked on without a ladder, thus freeing his hands. Chain saws, chisels, and mallets cast lovely shadows mounted there in the outdoor light. Harvey Nathanson - Sinai Waxman Plover Way, East Hampton Principal Hostess: Rebekah Fuchs Designed by Harvey Nathanson, A.S.I.D., this house purports to be maintenance free. The open feeling of the house assures that the forest of pines is never out of sight, while the cache aspect of the site guarantees visibility, light and total privacy. Mr. Nathanson is known in our area for inspired treatment of old houses; for opening and redesigning existing space. He is currently involved with a new-to-look-old farmhouse in the Cove Hollow farm area whose rambling aspect will not be alien to the land but will serve contemporary living even as his own shared home here does. House sharing with the painter Sinai Waxman works because of shared interests and separated professions. Sinai Waxman has been the recipient of Guild Hall painting awards in '75, '76, '78. He is currently a full professor at Hunger College primarily in the studio arts and particularly, painting. Uncompromising abstract, his work has a remarkable purity and a subtlety of color. The studio is approached first as you walk up the driveway. Here, beside the paintings, notice the child size East Hampton schoolhouse chairs purchased for one dollar each. The artist says of them, "They are sturdier than any ladder for adjusting overhead track lights." Follow the rock garden around to the patio entrance to the house and enjoy the good taste which abounds. Notice the handsome Welsh sideboard in the dining room and the many unusual storage ideas. The Studio of the Nivola Family 410 Old Stone Highway, Springs Principal Hostess: Mabel Daly The Nivola family, a unique trio of artists, has been part of the East Hampton scene for the past thirty years. The father, Tino, a famous abstract sculptor, is presently working in Italy. As you enter the large studio, on the left wall you will see a model of a huge sculpture he did for the facade of the Hartford Insurance Company building. In one corner is a display of some of his ceramic sculptures. Ruth Nivola's "jewelry in thread" is created out of metallic yarns that look like find gold and silver wire woven into intricate, exotic designs. Color is worked into the jewelry through beads, antique buttons, and silks. These works of art are almost too beautiful to be worn. They can stand as works of functional sculpture or framed as art. Her inspiration may come from the bronze and iron pieces of adornment worn by the Etruscans, or from the materials themselves. This couple's talented daughter, Claire Nivola, began sculpting heads as a teenage when she spent her summers in The Springs. Some of these heads are displayed on the window sill. For ten years, after graduation from college, Claire concentrated on painting and exhibited in galleries in the northeast. Two years ago, she switched to cement sculpture, using a process developed by her father. She must work very quickly, since the cement hardens in a day. At first, Claire created large figures, two of which are on display in the studio. Leatrice Rose - Joe Stefanelli 24 Cedar Street, East Hampton Principal Hostess: Floretta Martin This old house, built about sixty years ago by a well known carpenter/builder of East Hampton artists' studios, sits here on Cedar street across from the firehouse and unpretentiously denies the existence of the two working studios in the back. An understated interior relates to the present owners and their philosophy of life as it relates to their art. They, Leatrice Rose and Joe Stefanelli, will be on hand to greet you - Each in his/her work place. As you leave the house to proceed to the studios, you will pass an adjacent barnyard on the left which once played host to endangered waterfowl but which now is a residence for diverse poultry collected by a hobbyist. Horses are boarded in a rear pasture. Although Joe Stefanelli's work is abstract, he cannot resist getting off some quick watercolor sketches of these. When viewing the work of Leatrice Rose, be aware of the space you are in. Its simplicity corresponds to the space in the paintings she creates. Quoting Lawrence Alloway: "Rose's rooms are painted not only in a cool, clear light but in terms of a loose-limbed serviceable space." Hilton Kramer agrees: "...every form is made a vehicle of light." There is public parking adjacent to the firehouse which is just across the street. Tony Ronsenthal 350 Old Stone Highway, Springs Principal Hostess: Patricia Sullivan Approximately twenty years ago, the Rosenthal spread of seven acres was the Tanjay horse farm owned by Colin Fraser. The core of the house goes back to the turn of the century. Approaching the shingled Springs-type house, you will see ahead a broad expanse of lawn where corrals once stood, leading to a deep woods. Maquettes of wood in the actual size of the finished metal sculptures stand about in the woods for viewing. The originals of some of these may be found in great public spaces in New York City and elsewhere. You may recognize one like Guild Hall's own which graces the front lawn. Other monumental works may be seen in New York at Police Plaza, Astor Place, the newly designed "Steel Park" at 80th and First Avenue, and fronting the Library on 58th between Lexington and Park. The house itself speaks of a commitment to the preservation of old things. There is a peppering of antique furniture. Spaciousness is achieved by selective placement and uncluttered simplicity. Mrs. Rosenthal, Halina, has long been a worker for landmarks designations in New York City and has been a willing hand for L.V.I.S. as well in East Hampton. Roger Wilcox Sculpture Garden Abrahams Path, Amagansett (1st driveway after the railroad tracks) Principal Hostess: Minerva Jondreau Here is an old farmhouse which has undergone a complete metamorphosis since 1946 when Roger Wilcox first made a statement about his space, incorporating life and art. Long an intimate of artists in the area, he has sought to encourage them with help both real and spiritual. This present site will be a continually evolving presentation of sculpture placed for viewing and/or sale plus works in progress utilizing the open space. It was conceived to solidify the concept of wholeness between art and life on a human scale and to provide an intimacy between each work and the spectator. Sculptors spanning several generations are represented; among them are John Chamberlain, Conrad Marca-Relli. A.C. Mim, Philip Pavia, David Slivka, Marshal Pels, Wilfrid Zogbaum and others. You are invited to look at the collection both inside and out, along winding trails through the forest. A map will be furnished to assist with identification of the sculptures.
