GALLERY
Conceptual artist Neil Hamamoto has grand plans for his sculptures and the art world. BY DAVID GRAVER • PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN JACKSON
Neil Hamamoto in his Tribeca studio.
Spiraling skyward steps from the Montauk bluffs, artist Neil Hamamoto’s staircase-like sculpture pairs black wood planks in opposition to others painted bright blue. The latter seems to bridge the divide between the sky above and the waves rolling just below. The work, which Hamamoto refers to as the “monolith,” reflects the artist’s appetite for creating large-scale sculptural works with broad appeal. “This design is not overly complex or intricate,” says Hamamoto, 24. “It’s sophisticated enough for adults to want to stop their children from touching, but it also has a fun enough presence to invoke climbing by the kids. And climbing is encouraged!”
His wooden sculpture on the bluffs of Montauk.
Prior to its unveiling in Montauk—at a waterfront property overlooking the lighthouse—it had been assembled in two other locations, but this presentation was special. Not only was it the first time the sculpture was situated between sea and sky, but it marked an East End homecoming of sorts for Hamamoto, who was born and raised in New York City and who spent summers tubing in Lake Montauk and stopping for burgers at John’s Drive-In. During his years at Stanford University—from which he received a mechanical engineering degree—Hamamoto split his time studying, developing a tech-driven education company and shuttling back east to do summer internships 110