Next Thursday, June 4, the latest exhibition from award-winning photographer and painter Mark Seidenfeld, dubbed “Uncharted Waters” and opening at the newly renovated Tractor Barn, located behind the Corwith House on Montauk Highway.
With over 30 pieces set for display across 4,0000 square feet of brand-new exhibition space within the newest addition to the Bridgehampton Museum‘s structural arsenal, the show marks a new solo show for Seidenfeld and serves as a physical representation of not only the palpable shift in his work but the way he thinks about his work, as well. And while Seidenfeld has participated in dozens of art shows across the East End, New York City, Europe and Asia over the past three decades, next week’s exhibition explores the evolution in the Bridgehampton resident’s journey as an artist, both in terms of his work and his vision.
“Uncharted Waters” is certainly a nod to Seidenfeld’s approach to painting — “I find myself constantly setting my sails for the deep and the uncharted, not knowing where I’m going but knowing that’s the journey I have to take,” he says — yet it’s worth noting the true meaning goes a bit deeper than that in terms of the way Seidenfeld’s pieces have shifted from representational to full-on abstract. “The way I can say it is like this: If you told me to paint a chair, I’ll give it a shot and I will know that no matter what I do, I have a map in my head of a chair. Now, how about asking me to paint the spirit of the wood of the chair. Now, we’re in the abstract realm and that’s where I constantly push myself.”
The direction Seidenfeld’s art was moving towards wasn’t always so certain. “Like many artists when I started, I didn’t want to leap into something that was unfamiliar, so, I began with representational painting. As I sought to break my boundaries to go beyond influences, to challenge myself, I found that being creative is not in the exclusive domain of professional artists,” he says. “It’s an aspect of the human condition. And I think when you engage creatively in your craft and in your life, it becomes a transformation accelerator.”
Initially suggested to be a part of a group exhibtion at the Tractor Barn, Seidenfeld’s solo show was a bit of a happy accident, noting he stumbled into it, originally pitching to be one of three people showcasing their work.
“We all live here on the East End,” he says. “We all ingest the same influences. The same air, the same love of nature. And yet our abstract visions are so different from each other. I think that if you show us all together, there’s this conversation that happens, a context that’s created because each person makes you look at the other person’s work differently.” However, the powers that be decided his works warranted its own show.
Seidenfeld is no stranger to the nuanced layers of the art world. In fact, he’s been navigating them for years, initially, starting out as a lawyer and representing some of the biggest surrealist galleries across Europe.
“Through that I befriended Elisa Breton, who was the widow of Andre Breton, the founder of the surrealist art movement,” he says. “I used to pick up Elisa and take her to art shows. I was in my early 30s. She was in her late 80s. Honestly, I think she was my friend because she liked to drink whiskey and I would buy.”
After attending a show that Seidenfeld describes as “kind of terrible,” he mentioned to Breton that he could do it better. So, she urged him to do it. “That’s when I started,” he says. “I made a painting. It wasn’t a great painting, but it unlocked this volcano inside me that has never stopped erupting. So, from 1992 to 2026, I’ve been going strong.”
Paintings slated for display at next week’s show are all predominantly oil on either canvas or panels and range in size, with the largest clocking in a 60 inches by 82 inches. Prices range from $4,000 to $20,000.
“I am a dreamscape painter, as there are times I can look at other people’s work and marvel at how they have the ability to capture detail in a lifelike manner and far, far beyond my capability. But as awesome and inspiring as that technical detail is, that’s not where my head’s at at all. For me, it’s all about imagination and exploring a combination of, I would say, desire, imagination, subconscious.”
The opening reception for June 4 is from 5 to 8 p.m. “Undercharted Waters” will be on view through June 21. The Tractor Barn is located at 2368 Montauk Highway in Bridgehampton.
