KINGSLEY: [Laughs] No it wasn’t. I can remember
KINGSLEY: Sumner Freeman was an eye, ear, nose,
around 1990, before John and I were together, I
and throat doctor, and he had a property in Mid
walked through that area, which was between two
Way Walk, which is in the middle of Fire Island. Mid
neighborhoods on Fire Island called Cherry Grove
Way Walk is about two blocks long, and it’s the
and Fire Island Pines. I was going to get lunch with
garden district of the Island. Most people let their
two friends, and then we walked back through the
gardens grow more naturally, but Sumner met a
woods and I saw John painting there. I had no idea
man named Roy Yaeger who also loved to garden.
who he was. I didn’t meet him for another three
The two of them traveled around the world looking
years, but I definitely remember seeing him painting
at gardens and they must have spent hours every
there.
day from May to October in the garden on Fire
VALERIO: Bruce, I’m realizing and learning about
Island.
how much of John’s body of work is the chronicle of
VALERIO: I will tell you that every time we have it
his life in very specific ways. These are not random
on view here at Woodmere, people just “Oooo” and
garden spots, or places that are devoid of meaning.
“Aaaah” over it, for good reasons.
They all had meaning.
KINGSLEY: Vertical Path, Tahiti Garden, and
KINGSLEY: That’s true. Rather than going to places
Winding Garden Path are all of Sumner’s garden.
just to paint, I think he found places where he went.
John gave it the nickname Tahiti.
MCCAY: I wanted to ask you, Bruce, about John’s
VALERIO: With the exotic, lush plants you can
commissions. Commissions were an important part
imagine this is John’s Tahiti. There are many other
of his career.
depictions of Fire Island and John’s relationships
KINGSLEY: Yes. It started with Frank Stark
who was the first to commission John. Knowing that someone was purchasing his work and commissioning him to paint a location that was meaningful to them gave John an increased sense of confidence. He felt that they added stature to his being a painter. VALERIO: Can we talk about Sumner’s Garden and
the series of paintings John did of this amazing garden? Who was Sumner?
and life on the Island. We will include three works from Woodmere’s collection of the Morning Party. My understanding is that the Morning Party was a fundraiser for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis at someone’s home, but it became so big it had to move to the beach. KINGSLEY: Yes, people came and erected these
gigantic tents and the big blue man was a party mascot of sorts. It was quite a spectacle. John was an employee at the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and he worked the hotline. He was a supervisor of the hotline from around ‘91 to ’96. He also volunteered his services as a graphic designer, making the posters for the party.
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WOODMERE ART MUSEUM