A woman in a sparkly top glared disapprovingly as I pulled a Hyundai Elantra rental car into a space between a Maserati and an Escalade at the Art Southampton fair late Saturday afternoon. In front of the entrance was a colorful troll sculpture by the artist Sam Tufnell. To my left were about 25 young men in helmets playing polo, this being the Hamptons, after all. Inside, I saw works by Picasso and El Anatsui before driving over to Mecox Farm for Market Art + Design, which was held alongside a beautiful bay. There were Robert Bradford sculptures crafted from stuffed animals situated around the fair, as well as sketches by author Dave Eggers, and embroidery by Sophia Narrett.
Before walking into the Parrish Museum Midsummer Party, I stopped into a winery further down the road. A camera crew was set up inside, filming a VH1 reality show. By the register, I was asked to sign a release form for appearing in the background of said reality show. I collected my change and headed to the Parrish Museum. A mix of artists, collectors, entertainers, and philanthropists chatted and enjoyed the perfect weather, congregating around expensive vintage cars that were parked on the grassy area outside of the museum because a local car dealer called Grand Prix Café sponsored the event. Thinking of my Hyundai, I felt slightly out of place. This feeling was briefly compounded as I headed for the door to make my exit and a woman pointed at my Hawaiian print dress and said, “Hey, that’s my dress!” I looked up, worried and confused, and then realized that my secondhand store find by Nicole Miller from ten years earlier had been spotted by Nicole Miller herself. Surely this happens to people all the time out here.
ALL PHOTOS, EXCEPT WHERE NOTED: KATHERINE MCMAHON
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Art Southampton.
Bernie Taupin's work at Mark Borghi Fine Art, at Art Southampton.
Phillip Maberry at Dean Project, at Art Southampton.
Roxy Paine's Soap for a Lifetime at Sponder Gallery, at Art Southampton.
A selection of Picassos at Masterworks Fine Art Gallery, at Art Southampton.
El Anatsui at Lawrence Fine Art, at Art Southampton.
Maria Berrio at Praxis, at Art Southampton.
Inside Art Southampton.
Shinji Murakami at Catinca Tabacaru Gallery, at Art Southampton.
Inside the Market Art+Design tent at Fairview Farm at Mecox, Bridgehampton.
Fernando Mastrangelo at Market Art + Design.
Robert Bradford at Rebecca Hossack Gallery, at Market Art+Design.
Harold Garde at Allen Projects, Market Art+Design.
Dave Eggers at Electric Works, at Market Art+Design.
Sophia Narrett at Freight + Volume, at Market Art+Design.
Juan Fontanive's sculpture Marks (2015) at Market Art+Design.
The Parrish Art Museum.
Waiters at the Parrish Art Museum's Midsummer Party.
Dining area at the Parrish Art Museum's Midsummer Party.
The Parrish Museum's Midsummer Party
Publicist Sara Fitzmaurice and Terrie Sultan, the Parrish's director.
Collector Lisa Perry at the Parrish Museum's Midsummer party.
Tara Donovan at the Parrish Art Museum's Midsummer Party.
Artist Donald Sultan.
A Picasso–inspired dress at the Parrish Art Museum's Midsummer Party.
Steven and William Ladd at the Parrish Museum's Midsummer party.
Malcolm Morley and Eric Fischl at the Parrish Art Museum's Midsummer Party.
JOE SCHILDHORN/BFA.COM
Alice Aycock at the Parrish Museum's Midsummer party.
A guest inspecting Tara Donovan's Slinky sculpture.