Above: Hope Sandrow Observational Findings Genius Loci, 2012, Oak, Mirrors; Two Stereoscopes (left) photograph of William Merritt Chase with students (1900, Shinnecock Hills Summer School of Art) by Albert Chittenden collection Hope Sandrow recreated as a stereoscope by Hope Sandrow and Ulf Skogsbergh, 2012. 23.75 " W x 69" L x 35" H

Genius Loci Observational Findings

open air studio Shinnecock Hills spacetime

This nineteenth-century Colonial curio cabinet owned by Samuel L. Parrish, contains objects of curiosities that symbolize the origins of the Parrish Art Museum and Colonial Southampton. Displaying relationships between the Artist with Samuel Parrish: both were born in Philadelphia, PA, and lived in New York City and Southampton as did William Merritt Chase.

From photographs to artwork to copies of deeds showing the history of ownership of the new Parrish Museum site since ancestral Algonquin lands were taken from Shinnecock Indian Nation; representing the evolution and diversity of flora and fauna since the land had been farmed, including poultry. As well as human life shown in objects created or found on the grounds of Sandrow's open air studio Shinnecock Hills: also on lands taken from Shinnecock Indian Nation (1859). In 1891, Long Island Improvement Co-president, Samuel Parrish sold the land to Jane Borrowe Colt who built an estate that included the Carriage/Gatehouse now Sandrow’s home and studio with her husband Ulf Skogsbergh (1976). Nearby is William Merritt Chase’s home and studio (Note 1), shown in photographs made in 1900 by Albert Chittenden, depicted in Chase’s painting The Bayberry Bush, built by Stanford White on land given to Chase by Art Patrons including Samuel L. Parrish.

Shown above: 23.75 " W x 69" L x 35" H Oak, Mirrors; Two Stereoscopes (left) photograph of William Merritt Chase with students (1900, Shinnecock Hills Summer School of Art) by Albert Chittenden collection Hope Sandrow recreated as a stereoscope by Sandrow and Skogsbergh, 2012; (right) mirror (2020)

Colonial Curio Cabinet owned by Samuel L. Parrish installed at (1897) Art Museum at Southampton gifted (2012) by Southampton History Museum to Sandrow, where she exhibited (Re)collecting and American’s Dream, for Platform Genius Loci: Observational Findings

Updates: (2020) Observational Findings placeholder: untitled (Hope) open air studio Shinnecock Hills;  (2021), Observational Findings placeholder: untitled (Reflective) open air studio Shinnecock Hills

(2021) Observational Findings placeholder: untitled (Reflective) pen air studio Shinnecock Hills

The cabinet also includes a memorial to artist Roy Lichtenstein, whose work had a profound influence on Sandrow’s development as a young artist. Displayed is a “leatherman” given as a gift from Dorothy to her husband Roy alongside his hand-written sign “I’ll Be Back Soon” posted on the door to his studio.

A memorial to farmer Bradford Reeve who shared Sandrow’s interest for her Shinnecock Family Flock Roosters - composed of family photographs, and a rusted saw blade sits on the same glass shelf (left). Bradford passed from life this past February, shown here in pictures with his wife Lorraine (1965) at their farms Bayview (Aquabogue) and Hayground (Bridgehampton).

Below the glass shelves is a stack of silver print fragments (skinned) Sandrow made by hand, Memories Spaces Time (1991-2008) photographed in Open Air Studio Shinnecock Hills. The silver prints included in the installation Material Matters(1995) commissioned by Creative Time for Art at the Anchorage relate to the role of art and artists in gentrification. To the right is a glass jar of white feathers Sandrow gathered from her flock of chickens - that might have been found when the museum’s new site was a poultry farm.

Photograph: Andrea Grover

Special thanks and appreciation to Parrish Museum’s Curator of Special Projects Andrea Grover, and creator of Platform, who invited Sandrow to create and realize her inaugural project.

To Parrish Museum Director Terrie Sultan; Senior Curator Alicia Longwell and supporters of the Parrish Art Museum who made Genius Loci possible.

To collaborators and participants:

Southampton Historical Museum Director Tom Edmonds for gifting Samuel L. Parrish Curio Cabinet; Researchers Laurie Collins and Mary Cummings

Montauk Observatory astronomers Sean Tvelia and Dr. Mike Inglis and Susan Harder for generously sharing telescopes, conversation, and expertise to realize my idea, conceptual context for (Sky)gaze.

Elke Luyten and Kira Alker for their original collaborative performance Floored to realize my idea and conceptual context of the new and former Parrish Museum sites.

Lorraine Reeve and Dorothy Lichtenstein for their friendship, loaning Family Archives included in Observational Findings in memory of Brad Reeve and Roy Lichtenstein. George Tetzel for his gift of Chittenden’s photo album. Elizabeth Bess Haile.

Ulf Skogsbergh and Carlos Lama, for collaborating with me in realizing Clairaudience: Sounds of History.

Jane Iselin for her friendship and sorting feathers (see jars right).

Sur Rodney (Sur) reprising our collaborative performance On the Road: Free Advice; his friendship and support (since 1982).

Agnes Gund, whose friendship and support make possible open air studio spacetime; her life and work inspire change and optimism for the future of our world.

My collaborator in life and often art: Ulf Skogsbergh for almost always saying yes.

To Shinnecock for following me home.