THE MAGICAL WORLD OF THE LEIBER COLLECTION
By Jeffrey Sussman
In a Palladian edifice, on Old Stone Highway, is the acclaimed Leiber Collection, the creation of painter and gardener Gerson Leiber. He built it as a tribute to the creative genius of his wife, Judith, who created the first handbags considered works of art by numerous museum curators. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for one, has 80 Judith Leiber handbags in its collection, and its curator, Harold Koda, wrote in the introduction to the Leibers’ biography, No Mere Bagatelles, “Her memorable works… are poised between fine jewelry and sculpture and are examples of her artistry.” Other museums around the country also have substantial Judith Leiber collections, including the Smithsonian and the Taubman Museum of Art. For East Hampton, the Leiber Collection is a cultural gift, one that draws, like a magnet, thousands of visitors every summer. It is also a destination for students and historians of fashion, for Judith Leiber was a trailblazer whose creations are as fresh and delightful and astonishing as they were when first created. She is entirely sui generis, and Gerson Leiber wants to make sure that the world never forgets her important contributions that revolutionized the world of fashion accessories. Hence, the Leiber Collection.
The Collection encompasses more than a glittering display of artful handbags. Its second gallery is devoted to the modernist paintings of Gerson Leiber. Hilton Kramer, a former art critic at The New York Times, praised Gerson for his mastery of color and composition. His large canvases are awash with brilliant colors, a synthesis of styles and inspirations: German Expressionism, Abstract Expressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, Neo-Expressionism, and Post Expressionism. In addition to the paintings on display as part of the Collection, Gerson’s work has recently been exhibited at two one-man shows in galleries in New York City.
A third smaller gallery of the Collection contains an historically significant display of antique Chinese porcelains. They date back centuries and are representative of numerous Chinese dynasties. Each porcelain in the Collection is of such fine delicacy and beauty that one marvels at how they have survived in such pristine condition.
Every Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday, visitors are invited, free of charge, to tour the Collection and perambulate the gardens, to sit in a sylvan setting that was aesthetically designed for their pleasure.
The galleries of the Leiber Collection and the surrounding gardens are a gift to eyes that focus on beauty in manifold forms; it is not only a destination for today’s art lovers, but it will likely prove to be a destination for future generations of aesthetically minded individuals grateful for timeless creations.
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