Wry humor and a soupçon of mystery in Prentice’s work

CORNWALL — “I’m disappointed,” Tim Prentice said at the June 30 opening of his installation (don’t call it a show). He looked up at the circles of turkey feathers, dyed bright yellow, that hang over an entire section of the Cornwall Library. “I thought they would all be spinning from all the hot air in the room.”Wry sense of humor acknowledged and no offense taken by anyone in the room full of friends and fans. Although the artist and Roger Reed, aka Roger the Jester, jumped into a conversation about making things move with even the most subtle of air currents. On the exhibit wall, a selection of kinetic sculpture by Prentice includes signs that advise, “These pieces are adjustable. Turn carefully.”Huh? You can touch them? There were tentative approaches and jokes about whether or not there was a “correct way” to adjust themPrentice’s new book was available at the opening, and selling fast (each sale included a donation to the library), and there was often a line for signing. “Drawing on the Air” features many of his large-scale installations around the world. At the library, of course, the sky is not (literally) the limit. But while the smaller pieces may not have the instant power to amaze, they still have that “mystery factor” that is Prentice’s signature. For those who know the man, it is fun to see what he does with the things he cannot bear to throw away, such as his suspended array of blue plastic Chock full o’Nuts coffee scoops. Wife Marie shakes her head and says she can’t even remember the last time they drank that brand.The installation remains at the library until July 28.