By Sheilagh Casey
The Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank is a sweet place a little bit outside of the town’s bustling center. It overlooks the Navesink River where it pools into the Swimming River, making it a great perch to enjoy a drink or a meal with some friends.
Right now, October 2021 until early November, the hotel is hosting a show of the works of Michael Malpass. Known worldwide as a sculptor of large, heavy metal spheres, Malpass raised his family on the Jersey Shore while he commuted to teach in New York. His life defied stereotypes of the eccentric artist, remembered instead as a hardworking and kind teacher and family man. He died age 44, at Brooklyn College, of a heart ailment. His wife, Cathleen, maintains a gallery of his work in Brick Township.
You might have seen his sculpture before: It is displayed in many collections and at a comprehensive 2016 exhibition at Monmouth University, but at the Oyster Point installation gives it a more popular context. The bright lobby, lounges and hallways make for pleasant viewing that you can enjoy with a drink in hand.
Malpass was ahead of his time in using, or upcycling, castoff industrial tools and other metal bits. For his spherical sculptures, he used steel ocean buoys as templates. Much of his work reveals a tender and humous sensibility. He sometimes made prints from his metal pieces. His etchings are very refined and subtle—a contrast between the muscular physique of the heavy-metal wielding man and his internal states. The Chicken Men sculptures are fun.
Also on view now until Nov. 13. is the Order and Chaos show at the Atlantic Highlands Arts Council held over from its original time slot. Artists Paul Hansen and David Levy contrast the difference and similarities between their approaches, Hansen being an intuitive worker, and Levy carefully planning and controlling his work. Stroll in, it’s at 54 First Ave, Atlantic Highlands. Open every afternoon except Monday, with extended hours Fridays and Saturdays.
Check it out online at aharts.org.
Photos courtesy David Levy.
