The Sculpture 'Synopsis' Rises At A Farm Stand In Hayground - 27 East

Residence

Residence / 1379339

The Sculpture 'Synopsis' Rises At A Farm Stand In Hayground

icon 6 Photos
Robert Mojeski sets his new sculpture, "Synopsis," in motion. VIRGINIA GARRISON

Robert Mojeski sets his new sculpture, "Synopsis," in motion. VIRGINIA GARRISON

Robert Mojeski with his new sculpture, "Synopsis." VIRGINIA GARRISON

Robert Mojeski with his new sculpture, "Synopsis." VIRGINIA GARRISON

"Synopsis" went up in Bridgehampton just before July Fourth. VIRGINIA GARRISON

"Synopsis" went up in Bridgehampton just before July Fourth. VIRGINIA GARRISON OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Robert Mojeski's "Synopsis." VIRGINIA GARRISON

Robert Mojeski's "Synopsis." VIRGINIA GARRISON

Robert Mojeski's "Synopsis." VIRGINIA GARRISON

Robert Mojeski's "Synopsis." VIRGINIA GARRISON

"Synopsis" at the Hayground farm stand. VIRGINIA GARRISON

"Synopsis" at the Hayground farm stand. VIRGINIA GARRISON

authorVirginia Garrison on Jul 13, 2015

Sculptures are rising on farm fields like stalks of corn—whether it’s a Roy Lichtenstein outside the Parrish, or a Robert Mojeski beside the Green Thumb Market at Hayground.

Mr. Mojeski’s “Synopsis” was planted by crane in a field next to the farm stand, which is on the north side of Montauk Highway, on the Friday of the Fourth of July holiday weekend. It’s about 1,700 pounds and consists, in part, of two 55-gallon oil drums, split open and painted aqua and white, that dip and rise, pivot and revolve in the wind.

“You’ll see it dance like this on a windy day,” Mr. Mojeski said on Thursday, July 9, as he nudged a lead-filled aqua ball to set the kinetic sculpture in motion. “You never know where it’s going and which way.”

The repurposed drums sit above a cross bow that also moves in the breeze, and which in turn sits above a stand that looks like a ballet dancer’s legs, entwined and delicate.

“I don’t like interfering with the background—you should be able to see through so it’s not interrupting what you’re looking at,” said the sculptor, who calls himself Mojo. “There’s an elegance there. I take a lot of time on my lines.”

Mr. Mojeski’s “The Tipping Point XIX” cropped up on Ken Schwenk’s Sagaponack farm field, along Montauk Highway, last year, and the big yellow ball on its red, ladder-like stand is hard to miss. After working on his new sculpture over the winter and spring, the artist indirectly approached Ray Wallen, who manages the Green Thumb Hayground Market.

“Robert’s sister’s husband’s brother works for us on the farm, and he has for quite some time,” explained Mr. Wallen, whose family took over the Hayground market last year.

The employee, R.J. Nolan, relayed the request from Mr. Mojeski, who’s always on the lookout for large, open and prominent spaces for his sculptures, which are for sale, and which he also makes on commission. Mr. Wallen said yes, thinking “Synopsis” could provide “an extra touch to bring a little more creativity and individuality to this area” and also realizing that the family’s 4.5-acre field could provide the sculpture with “a fresh palette or clean slate.”

Just as Mr. Mojeski did with his sculpture in Sagaponack, “I like how he incorporated a modern spin on farming-esque equipment.” Mr. Wellen said. “Another cool thing about the one he put up here is the fact that it rotates like a windmill,” the farmer said, noting that there used to be a windmill either on the field or very close by.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mojeski, who grew up in Southampton and lives in Sag Harbor, spent 15 years fishing and on the water, experiencing what he called “just motion, motion, motion with the ocean.”

In fact, the drum-barrel blades, which look like pinwheels from below, seem to suggest both windmills and waves. “Not only are they giving you a representation of water, but action, and life is action—they show action,” Mr. Mojeski said.

Asked to explain the name of the sculpture, “Synopsis,” Mr. Mojeski said, “It’s answering a lot of questions from the atmosphere. In a heavy wind, she will lay over and not catch the wind as much,” he continued, adding that a waterfront setting would also be ideal.

“Nobody utilizes the wind very much to make sculpture,” said Mr. Mojeski. “It has to show more than, ‘Here I am, sitting still.’”

You May Also Like:

Bridge Gardens Offers Vegetable Gardening Class on Saturday

Interested in growing your own vegetables this year? Peconic Land Trust’s Bridge Gardens is offering a workshop to demonstrate how to do just that. Garden director Rick Bogusch will share tips to ensure a robust harvest all season long on Saturday, April 26, from 1 to 3 p.m. The workshop will include recommendations for selecting and starting seeds, supplies to encourage germination and timing for transplanting in warmer weather. Admission is free to Bridge Gardens members. Others are encouraged to donate $5. Reservations are required, and rain cancels.​​​​ Bridge Gardens, a 5-acre public and demonstration garden, is located at 36 ... 23 Apr 2025 by Staff Writer

April Can Be One of the Most Dangerous and Challenging Months for Gardeners

April can be one of the most dangerous and challenging months for gardeners. We can ... 17 Apr 2025 by Andrew Messinger

'Radically Reimagining' Sustainable Design at Oza Sabbeth

Several years ago, Nilay Oza and the rest of the team at Oza Sabbeth Architects ... 16 Apr 2025 by Cailin Riley

Composting for Dummies

“There are more microbes in a teaspoon of healthy soil than are people on the ... by Jenny Noble

Decorators-Designers-Dealers Is June 7; Donations Being Accepted Now

The Southampton Fresh Air Home, a special needs summer camp in Tuckahoe, will hold its 33rd annual Decorators-Designers-Dealers Sale and Auction Benefit Gala on Saturday, June 7, on-site. Often called the “The Greatest Tag Sale on Earth,” the Decorators-Designers-Dealers Sale features a selection of designer furniture and one-of-a-kind auction items set against the backdrop of a cocktail party at the start of the Hamptons social season. The event begins with a benefactors and sponsors hour at 4 p.m. and then opens to all ticket holders at 5 p.m. Proceeds from the fundraiser ensure that no child is denied the opportunity ... 15 Apr 2025 by Staff Writer

Why the Big Deal About Native Plants?

April is Native Plant Month in New York State. You may be wondering why gardening, ... by Alicia Whitaker

Peconic Estuary Partnership Offers Homeowner Rewards Grants

The Peconic Estuary Partnership is now accepting applications for $500 grants for homeowners in the Peconic Estuary watershed to remove turf and pavement and add alternatives to benefit the environment such as rain gardens and native plant gardens. PEP’s Homeowner Rewards Program is designed to encourage homeowners to make a positive impact on the local estuary and its bays by preventing fertilizer pollution from entering local waters. PEP asks homeowners to take the Reduce Nitrogen Pledge and consider how they can lessen fertilizer use by following the Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan nitrogen fertilizer recommendations. To qualify for a grant, ... by Staff Writer

Water Authority Launches Online Tool To View Tap Water Quality

The Suffolk County Water Authority has announced the launch of a new online tool that gives customers the most precise view yet of the quality of the water delivered to their taps. Now available on the SCWA website, the tool allows customers to access detailed water quality information tailored to their specific location, according to SCWA. “With SCWA supplying drinking water from more than 600 wells across 243 different sites throughout Suffolk County, the new feature provides unprecedented insight into local water quality,” a statement from SCWA reads. “Our customers deserve the most accurate, transparent information about their drinking water,” ... by Staff Writer

Termites Are Silent Destroyers

April is National Pest Management Month, and experts are warning of rising pest populations across ... 9 Apr 2025 by Joseph Finora

Growing Asparagus Requires Patience

There are only a few things we can grow in our vegetable gardens that are ... 7 Apr 2025 by Andrew Messinger