What is that? May 4, 2024
If you know, let us know. Send your responses to [email protected] or phone 631-275-1859.
Roger McKeon was our only respondent to last week’s quiz (see below), and he was 100% correct, writing: “It’s Ernst Neizvestny’s Magadan Crucifixion in the Shelter Island sculpture park.”
Mr. Neizvestny, a world-renowned sculptor and Shelter Island homeowner, died in August 2016 at the age of 91. He created the small sculpture park/garden behind his residence on Peppermill Lane, which for years has delighted those who have come across it.
The small park displays about 25 pieces crafted by Mr. Neizvestny. As you walk around to the back of the house, the view is breathtaking.
Intricate sculptures ranging in size — some nearly 20 feet high — shape the landscape of the park. The park has a hushed, secluded feel to it. Looking out at the pond, with towering bronze statues in the foreground, is captivating, an enchanting place to reflect.
The artist, born in Sverdlovsk, Russia, joined the Red Army as a volunteer and was awarded the Order of the Red Star at the close of World War II. He went on to study at the Academy for Fine Arts in Riga, Latvia, and the Surikov Institute of Art in Moscow.
At the same time, he studied philosophy at Moscow University. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s his career gained international attention, with Mr. Neizvestny winning many awards and exhibiting his work in museums throughout Europe.
In 1977, Mr. Neizvestny moved to New York City. But later, he was looking for a more quiet, tranquil place to live and work.
His wife of 22 years, Anna Graham, told the Reporter for a feature story, “Once he stepped off the ferry on Shelter Island he said, ‘This is going to be my home.’”
