By Lonnie
Burstein Hewitt. Photos by Maurice Hewitt, except as noted.
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| James' Mountain of Sculptures. Assemblage by Brennan Hubbell |
If you’re a
local art-lover, you’re probably familiar with the work of James Hubbell,
and perhaps you’ve visited Ilan Lael, the place near Julian he created for his
family decades ago that continues welcoming visitors today. Though he died in
2024, his artwork lives on….and now, for the first time, we see some of it
alongside the work of his younger brother, Bert Hubbell, who spent most
of his life in Japan and was an artist as well.
The OMA
exhibition, Brothers in Arts, was curated by Brennan
Hubbell, who is James’ son, Bert’s nephew, and an artist himself.
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Bert's Mountain of Sculpture. Assemblage by Brennan Hubbell |
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Brennan Hubbell with James' Mountain of Sculpture |
On an
introductory tour of the exhibit, Brennan mentioned the similarities between
the two brothers, who never saw each other in person again after Bert and his
Japanese wife moved to Japan in the mid-1960s. But they kept in touch with
frequent letters, some of them illustrated. Both men had happy marriages and
lived near mountains: Bert near Mt. Fuji, and James near the Vulcan Mountain
Range. Both felt close to nature, created their own art compounds, and produced
an enormous amount of artwork.
Brennan, who
was born after Bert left for Japan, finally met his uncle in 2001, when he went
to Japan and stayed with Bert and his wife, Hiroko, in their home-- a great
experience, where he got to see a lot of Bert’s art and lifestyle.
“To my Dad,
everything was a work of art,” Brennan said. “He was a humble person who wanted
to inspire people to create a better world. Bert was interested in Shinto and Zen
and the ancient cultures of Japan; Dad’s work was like a prayer for the world
and the universe.”
All the works
in this exhibit were done in this country, before Bert moved to Japan.
“I think they both
were in dialogue with their materials, seeing what their materials wanted to
do,” Brennan said. “Bert called himself a ‘primitive artist’ and was never
willing to sell his work; Dad was the one who went to art school. And they died
within weeks of each other, after a reunion by video call, when neither of them
could speak but they could still see and smile at each other.”
“This is really
a family story,” Brennan added. “And I tried to create compositions of their
pieces here that have an instinctual relation with each other.”
It’s an
engaging exhibition, featuring works from the Hubbell Family Foundation and the
Ilan Lael archives, and the wall-size
assemblages Brennan created are a notable part of the show, inviting viewers to
look closely and consider the stories that might be behind every piece on
display.
The
future of Bert Hubbell's body of work is uncertain. For more about Bert
visit his website Unveiling the
Remarkable World of Bert Hubbell
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Bert Hubbell, Untitled drawing. Curtesy Brennan Hubbell |
For
more about James Hubbell and the foundation he started visit the Ilan Lael Foundation
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James Hubbell, A Gallery at Ilan Lael, watercolor, |
And while
you’re on OMA’s second floor, you’re just steps away from Aaron Kramer:
Sense of Wonder, a collection of weird pieces made from salvaged
materials, on view through August 23. We
particularly enjoyed the artist’s printed statement: “Trash is the failure of
imagination.”
If you have
time, and the weather is fine, walk a few blocks toward the beach to check out
OMA West at The Seabird: An Annex Gallery of Oceanside Museum of Art. It’s
a small gallery on the main floor of the Seabird Hotel at 101 Mission Ave. where
we found some unexpected delights.
Brothers in Arts: James Hubbell and
Bert Hubbell
On view through
September 6.
Oceanside
Museum of Art
704 Pier View
Way, Oceanside, CA
92054
760-435-3721
Hours:
Wednesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Lonnie Burstein Hewitt is an award-winning
author/lyricist/playwright who has been writing about arts and lifestyles in
San Diego County for over a dozen years. You can reach her at hew2@sbcglobal.net
