On view June 26 – September 5, in the LongHouse Pavilion, Jack, Larger Than Life, is an intimate portrait of creator-collector Jack Lenor Larsen (1927–2020). His innovative textiles are presented side by side with his various “enthusiasms,” the objects of craft and art he assiduously gathered, as well as the clothing he collected and wore. Over 100 objects from the several thousand in LongHouse Reserve’s collection are juxtaposed with Jack’s pronouncements and videotapes of his interviews.
My acquisitions seemed to reinforce my own personal identity…
In collecting I found a quiet means of sharing enthusiasms
—Jack Lenor Larsen
In a period of increasing automation, Jack Lenor Larsen reintroduced handweaving techniques to the textile industry. Established in the 1950’s, his eponymous brand presented a series of innovations, making Larsen one of the most prolific and respected American designers of his time. A proponent of craft before it was trendy, Larsen’s appetite for the handmade took him across the globe seeking both traditional techniques and modern interpretations. Jack had an insatiable hunger and curiosity for other cultures. Said Kate Irwin, Curator of Costume and Textiles at the RISD Museum, “From the beginning of his career to his last collection for Cowtan & Tout in 2019, Jack’s approach to textile design was innovative and technical, while steeped in hand-craftsmanship and global practices of making. Many of his early designs combined natural fibers with synthetic materials of varying textures, transforming age-old textile techniques into contemporary designs that softened the transparent glass and dense steel of modernist International Style buildings.”
Don’t be reverent. Be relevant. Keep on changing.
—Jack Lenor Larsen
LongHouse Reserve is located on 16 acres in East Hampton, New York. Through its art collections, sculpture gardens, and educational programs, LongHouse Reserve brings together art and nature, aesthetics and spirit with the strong conviction that living with art in all its forms is central to living fully and living creatively. Currently, there are more than 60 sculptures in the gardens, including works of glass by Dale Chihuly, ceramics by Toshiko Takaezu, bronzes by Daniel Arsham, Eric Fischl,Willem de Kooning, and Beverly Pepper. Works by John Giorno,Alfonso Ossorio, Yoko Ono, Pavel Opocensky, Will Ryman, and Takashi Soga are also on view, while the installation of a “Fly’s Eye Dome” designed by Buckminster Fuller and a site-specific Sol LeWitt piece add interesting scale and dimension.
Open Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12:30 until 5:00. Visits to LongHouse are by timed-ticket reservations. Go to: https://longhouse.org/products/open-days