Exhibit reveals personal, spiritual dimensions of Hawai'i art

By David C. Farmer
Special to The Advertiser

•	The Contemporary Museum Biennial Exhibition of Hawai'i Artists Today through Aug. 31 When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m, Tuesdays through Saturdays; noon to 4 p.m. Sundays Where: 2411 Makiki Heights Drive Information: 526-0232 The Exhibit Space The exhibition continues through Sept .26. When: 7 a.m. until 6 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Where: 1132 Bishop St.

Thanks to the initial efforts of artist Jodi Endicott and Kim Coffee-Isaak, managing director of The ARTS at Marks Garage, Honolulu boasts of an event that has flourished in similar forms for many years in Mainland communities and in Lahaina, Maui, where "Friday Night is Art Night,"Êhappens weekly from 7 to 10.

Galleries, shops and cafés in downtown and in Chinatown stay open until 9 p.m. on the first Friday of each month to give lovers of arts and culture a chance to explore the neighborhoods and survey diverse forms of art and to meet the artists.

From the inaugural 24 downtown galleries and shops that participated in the inaugural First Friday in May, the number has now grown to 17, ranging from the sophisticated to the downright funky.

Given the large amount of work to see, this column will be devoted to what's on view at First Friday venues for the next two weeks. We'll visit other venues next week.

Besides the more traditional galleries, the inclusion of places such as Hank's Café and Sharky's Tattoo, both at 1038 Nu'uanu Ave.; Ming's Antiques, 1144 Bethel St.; Na Mea Hawai'i, 851 Fort Street Mall; Café Che Pasta, 1001 Bishop St.; and Got Art? at 1136 Nu'uanu, holds the refreshing promise that First Friday will continue to offer a variety of experiences and remain inclusive and accessible to a wide range of diverse audiences.

Louis Pohl and others

In a more mainstream mode, the work of the late Louis Pohl (1915-1999) can be seen in no less than three distinctive venues, indicative of the diversity the self-guided gallery walk tour offers.

The prestigious Downtown Gallery of the Contemporary Museum at First Hawaiian Center, 999 Bishop St., displays some of his best known work in "Volcanoes: Paintings and Prints by Louis Pohl."

The exhibition runs through Sept. 23.

A distinguished artist originally from Ohio, Pohl taught at Kamehameha Schools, the University of Hawai'i-Hilo, the Honolulu Academy of Arts and in his own studio from 1961 to 1979.

The imagery of the erupting volcano on Hawai'i captured his imagination in the 1960s and led to a substantial body of prints and paintings exploring the physical and spiritual dimensions of his subject matter.

The exhibition on Level 2 of the gallery — which also features the paintings and prints of Los Angeles artist Mark Kitano on level one — represents a fine cross section of Pohl's best work.

The subtle oil "Flow to the Sea," a painting executed late in Pohl's career, was acquired by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts as part of the State's Art in Public Places collection.

Across town, at the Smith Street Galleries, a modest-sized establishment at 1117 Smith St., more images inspired by Pele's spiritual energy can be seen in oils, watercolors, and mixed media.

Pohl has been recognized as both an accomplished painter and creative printmaker, media in which he skillfully combined his intuitive gifts for graphic design and painterly richness.

This unpretentious gallery also features through Aug. 31 works by three very different but complementary artists:

• David Behlke, director of the Koa Gallery at KCC and the Exhibit Space at 1132 Bishop St., displays playful watercolors and even an acrylic with glitter — "Marvelous Fish I" — inspired by marine life.
• Ka-Ning Fong exhibits accomplished, light-infused cityscape oils that capture an Edward Hopper-esque Honolulu bathed in a neon-infused, mysterious twilight.
• James Kuroda presents his accomplished acrylic on linen and acrylic/collage on paper works to nice advantage.

Finally, around the corner at the Pacific Traditions Gallery at the Pacific Justice & Reconciliation Center, 19 North Pauahi St., examples of Pohl's other subject matter can be seen in a storefront gallery dedicated to creating a culture of peace and nonviolence.

"Peace" captures the playful energy of young children in full physical abandon on the playground.

"Tahiti" skillfully renders the ambience of a lowering cloudscape and an azure-blue tropical beach, graced by the subtle presence on the shore of a dog and some chickens.

The gallery also features works by the masterful ceramic artist Hideo Okino and the work of Meleanna Meyer.

Exhibit Space

The Exhibit Space at 1132 Bishop St. is one of the more imposing and professional spaces on the tour. It was a long time in coming, however.

Originally designed as a gallery, the space remained empty for many years, serving simply as the foyer to the federal Bankruptcy Court, which is still in the building.

About three years ago, the building management decided to do with the space as was intended and approached David Behlke to serve as curator, who has for many years run KCC's Koa Gallery.

Behlke was at first hesitant to take on the assignment, not only because his plate was already full, but also because it would entail exhibitions of things not normally considered to be fine art.

Despite these misgivings, Behlke tackled the job and hasn't looked back.

Thanks to the inspired policy of the building management, each summer features an exhibition that focuses on locally significant topics. Last summer it was an impressive exhibition on surfboards; this year it is Hawaiian canoes.

"Hoe Wa'a: The Gathering of Canoes" examines the history and prominence of the canoe in Hawaiian culture.

Assisted by artist, master woodworker and teacher Ka'ili Chun, Behlke has mounted a comprehensive exhibition that eloquently speaks of the legacy of the Hawaiian master canoe builders and of master woodworker, canoe builder, and Kamehameha Schools mentor Wright Bowman Sr. to whom the show is dedicated.

The koa and spruce model "Hawai'i Loa" is typical of the exacting precision and human warmth of Bowman's artisanship.

Chun's humble and unassuming paddles, executed under Bowman's tutelage, speak of a loving apprentice's respectful assumption of legacy.

Huge steering paddles actually used by the Hokule'a are effectively displayed at the first floor ewa entrance to the building on Fort Street Mall.

This is the first show that has utilized both floors of the space.

At the contemporary end of the spectrum is Sonny Kaukini Bradley's imposing "Amelika U'iloa" ("Beautiful, Grand America").

The 45-foot, Stryker-type fiberglass canoe, built in the dark days after 9-11, features a red-and-white color scheme with just a subtle touch of patriotic blue.

The story of Hawaiian canoes is also clearly communicated by Mark Brown's assured plein-aire paintings of the environments in which canoes exist.

Equally accomplished and eloquent are Tom Smith's oils such as "First Light."

Black-and-white photographs by Masako Cordray artfully illustrate canoe building at the annual International Festival Of Canoes held on Maui.

Kimo Hugho's exquisite Cibachrome photographs, like the one featuring Eddie Akau on the Hokule'a's first Tahitian voyage, enhance the exhibition not only aesthetically, but also emotionally.

Of great historic significance are the turn-of-the-last-century canoes, crafted by traditional dugout techniques.

In their richness of texture and patina, these almost antique artifacts — some of which are slated to be restored — summon, in eerie tones, a vanished past that still informs the present with a deeply potent, living tradition.

The inclusion of Mau Pius Piailug's Micronesian sailing vessel and a Micronesian child's canoe nicely suggests the larger Pacific context to the tradition and the interconnectedness of all Pacific cultures.

Rounding out the exhibition is a continuously playing video that kinetically documents the thrills and excitement of canoe surf events.

The Exhibit Space, 1132 Bishop St., is open 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. The exhibition continues through Sept. 26.

Editor's note: Advertiser art critic Victoria Gail-White is on vacation for two weeks. Guest writer David C. Farmer wrote the Sunday art column from 1975 to 1976. He holds a bachelor's degree in painting and drawing and a master's degree in Asian and Pacific art history.