Don’t Kill a Mockingbird O. D.

Nitra Gallery’s Salon hosts an intimate exposition dedicated to the printmaking art of Orest Dubay, Sr. The project’s title is a paraphrase of a book title by the American author Harper Lee. The cult novel To Kill a Mockingbird is not just about racism and judicial murder, it is mostly about growing up, forming one’s own world views, morale, bravery and courage. Orest Dubay, Sr.’s works also feature parallels of morale, bravery and humanity. The intimate space provided by Nitra Gallery’s Salon serves as a platform we have chosen for presenting the work of Orest Dubay, Sr. The exhibition titled Don’t Kill a Mockingbird O. D. is about emphasising humanity and tolerance among us since many of his print sheets respond to the horrors of war which he had experienced himself. The sadness of a man affected by war is present in his linocuts like A Doe in a Nuclear Shelter, but then there is also hope in his Horizon of a rising or setting sun. The Mockingbird, representing a symbol of freedom, is in the exhibition title as it was one of the artist’s favourite motifs. Dubay often positions the bird into specific geometric compositions which also refer to various cycles – the rhythm of nature, man, his skilfulness, but also imperfection and carelessness. His discreet works describe his positions on what matters in this world and what does not. 

The exhibition is supposed to unveil and appeal to the humanity we all carry within ourselves, but the frustrations of everyday life sometimes make us forget about it. In a dialogue between the past and the present, we try to move forward with our interpretation and perception of this highly discussed artist. It is time Orest Dubay, Sr.’s works are gradually re-contextualised/reevaluated. In the past, Dubay almost seemed to have been omnipresent and we perceived the qualities of his artistic expression through his popularity during the former regime. Time has allowed us to reevaluate the artistic qualities of this universal artist from a new perspective and with different interpretation methods. Besides presenting the artist’s humanising artistic language, we try to make his work more approachable through an interactive intervention into the exposition which uses selected moving motifs from Dubay’s prints made by the software studio Noha v mede [Leg in Honey]. 

The exposition is a part of Nitra Gallery’s 60th anniversary exhibitions.