VIEWESCAPES
Naumkeag hosts one of the largest George Rickey retrospectives in the Northeast in 40 years BY JENNIFER HUBERDEAU STOCKBRIDGE George Rickey was hailed in his 2002 obituary by The New York Times as “one of two major 20th-century artists to make movement a central interest in sculpture.” The other major artist was Alexander Calder, whose works Rickey encountered in the 1930s. Calder, who died in 1976, grew up in Richmond, where his father owned a home. Rickey arrived in the Berkshires later in life, in 1957, purchasing a house in East Chatham, N.Y. There, he established his studio, not more than 10 miles from the Richmond border. There, in the second career Rickey came to later in life,
JENNIFER HUBERDEAU
Douglas Molin and Melanie Mowinski view George Rickey’s Double L Excentric Gyratory III at Naumkeag.
he and a team of assistants
1950s, as Rickey was gaining
would craft gigantic kinetic
prominence, to the 1990s, at
sculptures that can be found
the end of his long and prolif-
outdoor sculptures on display
across the United States and
ic career. The show follows a
— all of which have move-
in 13 countries, including Ger-
national exhibition of Rick-
ment as part of their design,
many, Japan, the Netherlands
ey’s large-scale sculptures on
Wilson said the experience
and South Korea. His work
display along Park Avenue
is not overwhelming due to
is included in the permanent
and The High Line in New
Naumkeag’s garden design.
collections of 150 museums.
York City.
“ViewEscapes,” one of
“It all started out kind of
work in the house.” And while there are 12
“Fletcher Steele created these outdoor garden rooms.
the view or of the building nearby. The smaller works, miniatures Rickey created as reference for his works, many of which have three to five variations, are displayed similarly within Naumkeag, the historic Gilded Age cottage
the largest retrospectives
modestly, about a year ago.
The pieces are somewhat
of the Choate family. The
of George Rickey’s work in
We were thinking, maybe
separated. You can see them,
44-room house served as the
the Northeast in 40 years
six or seven pieces,” Wilson
see them interact with the
summer home of diplomat
comprising 12 large-scale
said, speaking of how the
landscape, see them interact
Joseph Choate and his wife,
sculptures, along with six
show grew to 23 pieces that
with the house,” Wilson said.
Caroline Dutcher Sterling
smaller sculptures and three
span the length of the artist’s
The consistent breeze
paintings, is on display at
career, from the 1950s to 2002.
along the hilltop on which
Naumkeag through Nov. 1.
“We’re working with the
Naumkeag sits puts the
The solo exhibition was cu-
George Rickey Foundation
sculptures in almost constant
rated by Mark Wilson, associ-
and the George Rickey Estate,
motion, he said. Each of the
ate curator for The Trustees
which have been so helpful.
large-scale sculptures has
of Reservations.
And because they’re so close
been placed in a way that
and they have these pieces
complements the landscape
“ViewEscapes” explores
Choate, and later, their daughter, Mable Choate, who improved upon the 48-acre estate’s gardens and later left the property in the care of The Trustees. For more information
Rickey’s life, design process
available, we were able to
and architecture nearby,
about “ViewEscapes,” visit
and artistic intent, highlight-
expand the show to include
the shapes of the sculptures
thetrustees.org/exhibit/
ing works spanning from the
more pieces, including art-
mimicking the shapes of
georgerickey. ■
44 Berkshire Landscapes I SUMMER 2022
