|
By Billy Fried
Wait , did Hauser and Wirth or Larry Gagosian just set up shop here ? Because it sure felt that way at last Friday ’ s marvelous Hospitality Night when , upon walking through a side door off a nondescript building on a nondescript section of Broadway , you were swept into an alternate universe - a cavernous , 4,200 square foot , state-of-the-art gallery space with the ultimate in sophisticated exhibition technology .
The one-time post office was converted to a private gallery by previous owner , the late art collector Gerald Buck . But now Mo Honarkar has acquired it and debuted his Honarkar Foundation for Arts & Culture ( HFAC ). Say what you want about the controversial Mo , but his ability to brush himself off and bounce back - by opening this exquisite space to the public - demonstrates his commitment to doing good in our community . He enlisted gallery
|
owner Peter Blake to assist him with the opening , who in turn brought in his past director Genevieve Williams to helm the space .
And what was on the walls was even more exceptional – the long overdue retrospective of local artist Jorg Dubin ’ s prodigious figurative work of the 2000s . To see it all in one place is to grasp the enormity of Jorg ’ s talent . Big , stunning , lush canvasses of predominantly female nudes that could be mistaken for Rubens , except for the contemporary political commentary cleverly embedded in them . His craft is exceptional - thick brushstrokes reminiscent of the 20th century ’ s greatest portrait artist , Lucien Freud , with a mastery of light and shadow that can only be described as hauntingly beautiful .
Yet , there is purpose and meaning in each of the canvasses that require closer inspection . He calls out hypocrisy in provocative , conceptual pieces that begin with the beautiful female form , but reveal something askew : an expression of women ’ s rights being stripped away , or the constitution being trampled . His work is anything but exploitative or even decorative , but rather meditations on social , racial , and gender justice . Because , in the end , isn ’ t it the obligation of those seers and feelers known as artists to reflect back to us the world in ways that penetrate our consciousness and challenge our notions of reality ?
You ’ ve seen Dubin ’ s versatile work in public art installations around town – a boat sculpted of metal , the
|
transit bus stop canopy , the swirly metal entry gate at Pyne Castle , the entry planter at The Ranch , and his seminal piece , the 9 / 11 memorial “ Semper Memento ” (“ Never forget ”) in Heisler Park . This emotionally charged , yet somber installation composed of girders from the World Trade Center reminds us that we are all part of the building collapse and share in its impact . He ’ s as patriotic as they come , and uses his talent to illuminate the state of our democracy , our freedom , and yes , his pain in seeing it threatened .
You feel it the moment you enter the main room . Here hang some of Jorg ’ s most provocative works : a forlorn portrait of Abraham Lincoln with his MAGA pin upside down . A woman holding a clothes hanger after the Supreme Court ’ s decision to strike down Roe v . Wade . And perhaps Jorg ’ s most compelling political piece , a six by eight foot canvas called “ The Orange Stand ,” depicting a menacing white police officer with a billy club towering over a cowering Black girl amid the Black Lives Matter protests . She looks utterly defenseless as she is surrounded by armored tanks , tear gas and troops . It is truly a war zone , our contemporary Guernica . And if it doesn ’ t make you feel your extreme white privilege amidst the toil of being born Black in this country , nothing will .
I hope Jorg one day gets the international recognition he so richly deserves . Until then , he ’ s all ours , and our community is better for it . So perhaps you should consider commissioning a Jorg Dubin portrait
|
while you can still afford it .
I also hope the Honarkar Foundation will continue to mount challenging shows that are beyond the grasp of our staid Laguna Museum of Art ( where Jorg was twice rejected for consideration of this show because it was too risqué ). Things look promising with the experienced Williams aboard , who just announced the next show will be a survey of Tony DeLap ’ s extensive abstract sculptures ( and other works ) from the 1960s – 2000 . And if the city is willing to grant Mo a conditional use permit to use the space for events ( even though , like most buildings downtown , there ’ s no parking ), it will be a huge plus for our community . Just as Rick Conkey ’ s wonderful Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center has become a cultural touchstone and we have the promise of the Rivian showroom , too . Then we will have a triumvirate of creative spaces to uplevel our cultural life in Laguna . And for all your Mo haters out there who will cynically believe this is a PR stunt aimed at rehabilitating his image , I challenge you to do something as philanthropic and valuable for our community . He certainly did not have to do this and open himself up for more scrutiny . But this time , he really has given us a gift .
Billy is the CEO of La Vida Laguna , an outdoor adventure company , and the host of “ Laguna Talks ” on KXFM radio – Thursdays at 8 p . m . Email : billy @ lavidalaguna . com .
|