In a mix of art and design, Salt Fine Art’s opening reception for its current exhibition, “Radical Home,” shared space with Tesla Motors, which has earned a reputation for atypical auto marketing by opening storefronts in shopping malls.
Invited guests were chauffeured last Thursday, Feb. 16, in ride-alongs in the sleek cars that travel up to 335 miles on a single electric charge.
As Tesla employee Sian Dobbs guided the 2.5-ton Model S onto Coast Highway, even the traffic showed respect by clearing for a block long stretch. That allowed Dobbs to demonstrate the car’s self-driving feature and also its racecar worthy acceleration.
No longer a sci-fi fantasy, the new Teslas are capable of driving on autopilot, but cannot change lanes on their own yet. They also zoom noiselessly from zero to 60 in the blink of an eye, inviting calculations that one could reach Dana Point from Laguna Beach in 15 minutes. If everyone else gets off the road, that is.
Laguna College of Art and Design President Jonathan Burke emerged after his test ride smiling broadly, but no, the college won’t buy any of them for the students, he quipped. It was a Cinderella moment for all who participated in the ride-along.
Others not considering a $71,300 purchase were content to sip wine and concentrate on idiosyncratic works of art curated by Laguna Beach resident Luisa Fernanda Espinoza. “I’ve collected art since I was eight, and have always been drawn to dark themes,” she explained.
She pointed to a personal favorite, a Roberto Guerrero diptych composed of an array of kitchen knives embedded in a panel that spell out “Why are you so crazy” in Spanish. Its counterpart composed of arranged blossom gives the answer: “Because I want to be.”
Gallery director Suzanne Walsh says the reception with Tesla reflects the automaker’s reliance on marketing beauty. “Tesla Motors wants to partner with like-minded businesses such as art galleries to showcase their cars’ design aesthetics and innovative technology while hoping to attract clientele with an eye for beautiful art and beautiful cars.
The author is related to the gallery director.
