Art Finds a Fiend

Laguna Beach art hippies fight the power, even after the power says, Sorry

Comments (0) By REBECCA SCHOENKOPF Thursday, Jan 12 2006

Google Image Search: Shame; Any Format, No Filter. By Douglas McCulloh

Les Enfantes Terrible. Sculpture by Ray Jacob

Equivalents. Black-and-white photographs by Victoria Heilweil

Teacher's Pet; . . . And the Stockings Were Hung. 16x20 Cibachrome prints by Arthur Tress

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Nor does BC Space neglect the political—it never does. There's enough military-themed prancing and naughtiness to bring Patton back from the grave.

It's in taking on that old-time religion, though, that the works get the most trenchant and spare, witty like a shiv. Larry Vogel's Problem Solved is a Bible bolted shut, while Seduction of Lot takes on the porniest part of the Bible. (I always wonder if those are the "biblical principles" under which Tom DeLay's Dominionist friends want the U.S. to live.) Jorg Dubin's Origins of Life, After Courbet is just a puss and asshole, a woman lying on her belly in the sheets. Take that, intelligent design! And Lydia Ringwald shot crisp, detailed photos of the Erotic Temples of Khajuharo. The Indian temples celebrated the erotic in full relief—with figures fellating each other in all kinds of fun combinations—at the same time Europeans were building their ascetic Gothic cathedrals. Lucky us, with our Puritan roots.

"For Shame" continues, naturally, through Valentine's Day. I'd say Councilwoman Kinsman has until then to issue her nude apology. You never know how the hippies might decide to embarrass you next.

"FOR SHAME" AT BC SPACE GALLERY, 235 FOREST AVE., LAGUNA BEACH, (949) 497-1880. OPEN TUES.-FRI., 1-5:30 P.M. THROUGH FEB. 14.