'The future cannot not change the past'
Experimental art space Laguna Lab, which is located near the Barlow, will host an open house on April 26-27 during the Apple Blossom Festival
Local husband, father and artist Jonas Goldstein has a vision, but that vision may require a village to come to fruition. It involves his art space, Laguna Lab.
On March 30, 60 people attended a soft opening at Laguna Lab, which is located adjacent to The Barlow. There he showcased an exhibit of his recent works, called “The future cannot not change the past” — read that twice to make sure you read it correctly the first time — which features an elaborate array of mixed-media paintings and sculptures, the result of two-plus months of dedicated work.
The art installation revolves around the concept of “retro causality,” a theory which postulates that a later event can affect a preceding event. To this end, Goldstein’s art extends around and across the gallery’s 4,500 square feet, beginning with a single painting of a man and radiating his morphing image outward across walls and floor space to Goldstein’s pièce-de-résistance and work-in-progress, “The Pacifist David,” a visually arresting statue of a man doing a yoga shoulder stand. Questions arise: At what point do the art pieces reflect the man’s future and at what point his past? Or are they all simply versions of his “now”?
“I wanted to do something that honored the size of the space,” Goldstein said during a tour of the gallery. True to his word, “The Pacifist David” stands 17 feet tall, nearly touching the 20-foot-high ceiling.
Goldstein has taken on the unofficial role of artist-in-residence at Laguna Lab since he began renting the space in mid-February, working 4-8 hour days, seven days a week. He envisions Laguna Lab fulfilling the role of “... a more sophisticated, world-class, art-viewing experience that could include performance art, sound art, dance, potentially involving food, visiting artists from out of town [and] resident artist residencies.” Even classes, he hopes — visit the website below for more about that.
March 30th’s soft opening was well received.
“As someone who values spaces to gather and share ideas and aesthetic responses to the world, I think LagunaLab is something we need in Sebastopol,” said attendee Asherah Weiss.
“I was particularly impressed by the giant sculpture in the balance yoga pose. It was stunning and profound,” said Kimberly Horton. “The space was transformed into an artsy and beautiful open space. The exhibit … displayed colors in his artwork which radiated warmth, but also captured a kind of modern, futuristic look with a silver metallic paint used on certain pieces. This theme was very thought-provoking.”
Originally from Massachusetts, Goldstein studied film and animation at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, later receiving a John D. Rockefeller grant and an Andy Warhol grant for his work as a video artist in New York. After graduating, he became a creative director and designer by trade. He arrived in Sebastopol in 2012 with his family, where his kids attended Sebastopol Charter School. In 2020, amidst the pandemic shutdown, they returned to the East Coast to the Hudson Valley area of New York, where he helped start a gallery that opened spaces in New York, Tokyo, Berlin and London.
“So I had become very proficient and experienced with opening art spaces,” he said. “And when I came back here, I was [still] feeling that urge.”
Upon his return to Sebastopol, the stars aligned to bring his idea to create his own gallery to fruition. A friend of Goldstein’s who owned a business in town informed him that he was moving shop, and that a new tenant was needed at the now-empty 2-story, industrial-zoned location on Morris Street. Goldstein met with owners Dan and Robin Davis, who embraced his vision, graciously and generously working out a short-term lease.
In the weeks since the soft opening, Goldstein’s work on the “The future cannot not change the past” exhibit has progressed, and now he feels the need to host another open house.
“One of the previous things that I’ve done here in town is create puppets at the Apple Blossom parade,” he said. “So I’m kind of timing the show. The opening will be during the Apple Blossom parade, where last year I premiered a giant owl that was a papier maché.”
As of this writing, “The Pacifist David” approaches completion. Goldstein intends to finish it in time for the open house. He is also now ready to engage his larger vision, which includes networking and the possibility of Laguna Lab evolving into a nonprofit and working in tandem with other art nonprofits in town.
Indeed, the Lab’s location at the edge of the Laguna, Highway 12 and The Barlow seems ideally situated between the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center and Sebastopol Center for the Arts.
“It’s this strange extension of the Barlow, and yet not remotely connected to it in any way,” Goldstein said.
Yet the future of his art space remains uncertain, as Laguna Lab’s tenancy remains short-term.
“There is still no clear runway for Laguna Lab, and it should be considered a ‘pop-up’ art space in search of partners and funding,” he said.
The upcoming open house will provide ample opportunity for the public to engage with Goldstein and the Lab on multiple levels. The event is free — and the whole village is invited.
Laguna Lab will open its doors to the public this Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27, from 2 pm to 8 pm. It is located at 117 Morris St. #300 (look for the blue awning in the back). Find out more at www.lagunalab.org and www.jonas.studio/art.
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