The Drawing Room in East Hampton is currently presenting “Saul Steinberg: On the Table | drawings, prints & carved wood objects.” The show opened May 31 and remains on view through July 7 and is the gallery’s fourth exhibition in collaboration with The Saul Steinberg Foundation.
A legendary artist of the 20th century, Steinberg was widely known for his cartoons published in The New Yorker over five decades. His drawings and wood reliefs exploring his ironic perspective on classical traditions and society have been consistently exhibited in America and abroad. Steinberg infused his work with a fresh, existential delight.
The exhibition focuses on Steinberg’s multidimensional exploration of still life in drawing, lithography and wood relief sculpture, dating from the time he moved to East Hampton in 1959. His delicate colored pencil drawings of tabletop arrangements depict casual setups of art supplies, vases of flowers, and beloved tin toys. A miniature Blue Willow vase appears often and is on loan to the exhibit from his family. There is a folk art charm in Steinberg’s method of working in each medium.
The six large lithographs of intricate still lifes reveal Steinberg’s mastery of yet another medium. Actual postcards of a favorite Cubist Braque, a lush Matisse still life, and even an authentic Japanese wood cut are collaged onto the compositions, a witty example of trompe l’oeil.
During the process of building his new studio in 1970, Steinberg found inspiration in the discarded scrap wood, shingles and lumber and asked his carpenters to cut various shapes for use in the Table Top Reliefs he would explore for two decades. One of those on view, titled “Cabinet,” was featured in his one-person show curated by Harold Rosenberg at the Whitney Museum in 1978. A simple pine board the size of a steerage crate is covered with faux stamps and official signatures. This one relief evokes his harrowing experience and determination emigrating as a Romanian Jew fleeing Italy as the war broke out. He finally obtained a visa and became a citizen in 1942. An embossed metal plate bears his name as the owner of the crate.
Also on display are 34 wood objects Steinberg whittled and colored in the forms of books, chocolate bars, hinged secret boxes, and even toast and a record album. He would arrange these treasures in his larger wood montages. A superb example of his Table Top Reliefs, “Gulliver Table,” is a life-size table still life from 1986 with carved books, paint brushes, a piece of luggage and a compote with desserts. All are carved and drawn on wood.
For more information on the show, visit drawingroom-gallery.com or call 631-324-5016. The Drawing Room is at 55 Main Street in East Hampton.
