Doug Harvey’s exhibition, “Unsustainable,” is a hidden gem found in the alleys in Chinatown.

Opening night: outside the Jancar Gallery, located in a nook on Chung King Road, sat a performer amongst the crowd enjoying a beer and a smoke. He continually rubbed the microphone against a glass jar, making a brash noise and setting the atmosphere of the gallery.

Inside, the crowd filled up the small rooms, fitted for an opening night. There was chatter about why Harvey would choose the title “Unsustainable” to an exhibit such as this.

The bold and powerful brush strokes on his work seem to remind viewers of the crudeness in our world, which can refer to how unsustainable it is. There are paintings of concepts that people look to for stability and comfort (like religion, technology and politics), but Harvey brings to light how disappointing they can be.

One of the most stiking pieces is called, “Dream House,” a collage of blueprints and architecture foam. Here, Harvey takes a house and exposes its dirtiness and grittiness, saying home is not always sustainable. Families break apart, bonds melt away and suddenly all that's left in the home is a pile of garbage sitting in the living room.

Harvey’s use of mixing paint, latex, gravel, enamel, and photographs makes his work stand out—quite literally because some is in 3D. He juxtaposes objects and ideas together in his art, which brings to light what his thought process may have been while creating these pieces.

Although the physical space of the gallery is small and there is only a handful of artwork hanging on the walls, Harvey uses what he has to get a message out to the public: unsustainability.

This exhibition is open at Jancar until Nov. 13, along with Nancy Baker’s “Please Stand By” and Cyril Kuhn’s “Butter Boot”.

Reach reporter Jess Cho here.