"Couples Squared,” an exhibition opening on Saturday at the Southampton Arts Center, takes a novel curatorial approach. The organizing principle has nothing to do with styles, mediums, or themes, but, rather, relationships.
The show, curated by Phyllis Tuchman, explores the dynamic interplay between creative partners, presenting a wide range of paintings, sculptures, and photographs that span the spectrum of artistic expression.
“The term ‘Couples Squared’ refers to a common algebraic equation, but the art on display goes beyond mathematics to embody the mysterious and unpredictable nature of collaborative creation,” the arts center explains on its website.
Robert Motherwell and Helen Frankenthaler, Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock, and Elaine and Willem de Kooning may come to mind, but this show focuses on artists who have emerged since the 1960s. Some, but by no means all, are still together.
The exhibition features work by Derrick Adams, John Alexander, Carl Andre, Sebastien Blanck, Ross Bleckner, Michael Chuapoco, Paula Deluccia, Roy Dowell, Austin Eddy, Eric Fischl, Hermine Ford, Eric Freeman, John Giorno, April Gornik, Todd Gray, Isca Greenfield-Sanders, and Nancy Holt.
Work by Shara Hughes, Bryan Hunt, Melissa Kretschmer, Matvey Levenstein, Rima Mardoyan, Eddie Martinez, Robert Moskowitz, Sam Moyer, Bruce Nauman, Lari Pittman, Larry Poons, Ugo Rondinone, Susan Rothenberg, Kyungmi Shin, Robert Smithson, Ned Smyth, Fiona Waterstreet, Lucy Winton, and Lisa Yuskavage is also on view.
“This exhibition celebrates the power of creative partnerships and the incredible diversity of artistic expression that emerges from these collaborations,” says Christina Strassfield, the arts center’s executive director.
Ms. Tuchman is a critic and art historian who has taught at Williams College, Hunter College, and the School of Visual Arts. She is an editor at large at The Brooklyn Rail, and has written for numerous publications, among them The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Robb Report, Introspective Magazine, Town & Country, Art in America, ARTnews, Artforum, and Sculpture Magazine.
An opening reception will be held on Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition will continue through Sept. 14.
