Spencer Finch: Woodcutter. Cut from me my shadow.

For the latest exhibition in East Hampton, Lisson Gallery is pleased to present new work by Spencer Finch. With light and color as his subject matter, the Brooklyn-based artist creates ethereal, poetic work, recreating his journeys and experiences with the natural world in watercolor, photography, installation, video and drawing. Finch seeks to capture the ineffable qualities of everyday human existence.

Finch often incorporates the experience of light into his work — whether filtered through sunsets or seasons — investigating notions of place, as well as optics and perceptions. The neon work spreading across the main wall of the gallery, Shadow of Orange Tree (After Lorca), (2020) re-creates the shadow of a tree in the garden of Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca’s childhood home. Inspired by Lorca’s poem Song of the Barren Orange Tree, Finch travelled to Fuente Vaqueros, in Granada, Spain, and measured the light as he experienced it on that day.  

An avid gardener, Finch spent the months of lockdown in the country, outside of New York City. He used this time with his plants to chronicle their growth, including Blooming Calendar (my garden) (2020). Like much of his works that document natural phenomena, this vibrantly colored watercolor reflects both his devotion to the land and his deep appreciation of nature. Referencing the historic tradition of Japanese cherry blossom calendars, each colored dot in Blooming Calendar (my garden) relates to a day that a flower in Finch’s garden first bloomed.

Since its inauguration this summer, Lisson Gallery’s 1,000 square foot East Hampton space has presented exhibitions focused on both seminal, historic artworks and premiered new bodies of work. Previous artists on view include Stanley Whitney, Carmen Herrera, Anish Kapoor, Van Hanos, Joanna Pousette-Dart, Sean Scully, Shirazeh Houshiary, Liu Xiaodong, Tony Oursler, Channa Horwitz, Hugh Hayden and Jason Martin. This focused format, in an intimate setting, recalls the origins of Lisson Gallery, which was established in 1967 in a storefront window on London’s Bell Street. The Long Island location of the new space joins Lisson’s two other galleries in the New York area, including the recent expansion to a second location on West 24th Street in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood.

The health and safety of visitors remains a top priority, and strict measures will be implemented in the space to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. A mask will be required for entry, and hand sanitizer will be provided. Please visit our website for further details about the guidelines and to schedule an appointment.