Francisco Zuniga, Familia Indigena, 1976
In an intimate art gallery setting in Pasadena, Jack Rutberg surveys his latest exhibition with the practiced eye of someone who has spent half a century dealing art. The art exhibition at Jack Rutberg Fine Arts , “Hispanic Legacy,” follows the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, and is drawn entirely from Rutberg’s own extensive inventory.
The exhibition, which evolved from the gallery’s months-long revolving series of American and European art, “Art: A to Z”, “Hispanic Legacy” showcases an impressive range of masters, from Francisco Goya to Pablo Picasso, Diego Rivera to Salvador Dalí. But perhaps most intriguing are the unexpected treasures Rutberg has unearthed, including what he describes as “an astounding discovery” — a rare oil painting by Francisco Zúñiga, the celebrated Mexican sculptor, born in Costa Rica.
“Zúñiga was so committed to sculpture and so much in demand that he had to abandon painting,” Rutberg explains. “Most people, even those interested in Zúñiga, have never seen even one of his oil paintings.”
The show also reflects a broader shift in the art world’s recognition of Latin American artists.
“Until the 1970s, Latin American artists, with few exceptions, were widely known by way of only the most eminent Mexican muralists”, Rutberg says. “Frida Kahlo, by contrast, was barely considered. Oh, how things have changed!”
Among the exhibition’s highlights is a drawing by Diego Rivera that was recently featured during the artist’s major survey at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. There’s also what Rutberg describes as “an exceedingly rare etching by Salvador Dalí from 1935 – a remarkable surrealist composition of which only a few known impressions exist.”
“You walk into this exhibition,” Rutberg says, “and there’s a variety here in which one can lose themselves.”
Salvador Dali, Limp Cranes and Cranian Harp, 1935
This diversity also underscores Los Angeles’s unique position as a cultural crossroads. In 2017, when the Getty Museum launched its ambitious, region-wide “Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA” initiative examining the connections between Los Angeles and Latin America, Rutberg’s gallery was inexplicably the only venue to address and document through specific examples, Los Angeles’s historical connections with Mexico. A video link to that exhibition can be viewed at https://jackrutbergfinearts.
“There was a tremendous cross-pollination,” Rutberg recalls “Mexican artists came to Los Angeles for career opportunities, while American modern artists sought inspiration in Mexico.
“We were part of Mexico until 1848,” Rutberg notes “That’s not ancient history. People, particularly people in California, really need to have respect for the bridges of connection which exist between our two countries.”
The gallery’s collection includes works spanning more than 100 years, as exampled in this exhibition with works by Goya. Also included are 20th and 21st century works, including the extraordinary contemporary Spanish Catalan artist, Jordi Alcaraz, introduced in the U.S. by Jack Rutberg Fine Arts.
Early modernism is often attributed to the great early Spanish artists working in Paris in the early 1900s. A chuckling Rutberg recalls an old art world cliché: “The Spanish made art for the French to sell to the Americans.”
This year the art world celebrates the centennial of the foundation of the Surrealist movement. The Rutberg Gallery exhibition includes works by Roberto Matta, the Chilean-born artist who was the youngest and last member of the original surrealist movement in Paris.
In this exhibition, visitors will encounter wide-ranging examples of museum-quality work, from paintings and sculpture to drawings, prints, and even a small fresco by Alfredo Ramos Martinez. “The range of work available here, from the relatively modest to the more ambitious investments, offer some wonderful acquisition opportunities” Rutberg says, emphasizing his desire to make collecting accessible to a broader audience.
Alfredo Ramos Martinez, Sombrero, 1935
In an era where many galleries focus only on contemporary art, Rutberg’s “Hispanic Legacy” offers a refreshing chance to explore the rich cultural heritage that has shaped California’s artistic landscape, while perhaps taking home a piece of that history. It’s a reminder that in Los Angeles, the connection to Hispanic arts and culture needs to be appreciated— it’s about engagement with a shared heritage and an ongoing dialogue with contemporary art.
Having relocated the Jack Rutberg Fine Arts gallery to Pasadena from Los Angeles after 38 years, Rutberg states “I’m on a mission to introduce my community to works by European and American artists one could find at any world-class museum, also providing surprisigly affordable examples so that one can have the pleasure of living with fine works of art in their homes, while safe-keeping them for future generations.”
“Hispanic Legacy” opens with a reception on Sunday, November 3 from 3:00 p.m to 6:00 pm and is scheduled through December 21.
Jack Rutberg Fine Arts, Inc. is at 600 South Lake Avenue, #102 in Pasadena. For more information, call (323) 938-5222 or visit www.jackrutbergfinearts.com
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Saturday: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Free Parking. Entry – South Lake Avenue. Gallery entrance through the lobby.
