Page 44 - Art-in-Israel

ART IN ISRAEL

When we deal with art in Israel, we must ask the question: Is there streets of Tel Aviv) from the popular media; Dudo Gerstein
an “Israeli art,” or is it simply works of art that are made in Israel but deals with cars and buildings from the world of computers; and
could have been done in any other place on the globe? The fact that from the news, Basil C. Frank images “The Wailing Wall.”
Israel is in Asia near Africa but connected to the West (Europe and
the U.S., especially in cultural matters) and that most people living There is also the use of different cultural worlds: Eduard
in this country were born all over the world, make the question even Grosman combines the Eastern culture of text figures and
harder to solve. There has always been a conflict in Israeli art calligraphy; Vara Carmeli uses the egg as a symbol of birth;
between the need to develop art that combines internationally and and Yona Levi refers to early Egyptian grape-harvesting and
the need to express a connection unique to the land and nation. wine-drinking from Ancient Greece.
We see all kinds of references to science and nature: Uri de
In the first decade of the Israeli state (1950-1960), we can find two Beer uses spiral forms inherent to the organic and natural
mainstreams in Israeli art: one concerned with nature and landscape world; Varda Carmeli employs organic material – eggs; Sara
but in a non-figurative or nearly abstract style that was connected to Tandet-Ron deals with organisms and adjacent molecules, the
universal painting; the other more social and national. Only very few raw material that is the origin of every living cell; Yona Levi
were not part of these two groups and dealt with Jewish mystical combines a philosophical and scientific approach.
themes.
And there is the use of religious and historical national icons:
In the sixties, there was estrangement from nature and traditional Eduard Grossman makes “The Legends,” a biblical and
painting and sculpture. Artists were dealing more with photography, mythological interpretation in light and color, using Hebrew
performance, and video art in political and personal contexts. These letters and archaeological elements; Gad Ulman and Aviva
tendencies developed in the seventies, where more works connected Beigel use the “Magen David” Jewish sign; Uri de Beer deals
to geo-political matters together with personal and artistic identity, with Jewish mystic tradition and spiritual dimensions.
usually in conceptual and minimal art.
There are no themes that can not be included: Sara Tandet-
The phenomenon of a “return to painting,” color, and expression Ron’s personal, feminine themes, touching life and death;
occurred in the eighties in Israel and in other art centers in the world, Erica Weiss’s revealing of her own soul; Varda Carmeli’s
as seen in such exhibitions as “A New Spirit in Painting” in Britain, private world; the appearance of sickness and pain in Aviva
and “Zeigeis” in Germany. There was more connection to art Beigel’s cosmos; Dita Lyron’s women, concerning fertility and
everywhere on the globe and the feeling that everything is possible, pregnancy.
everything is allowed.
The last tendency we can find is the return of the pleasure
In the nineties, installation and video art dominated the major principal. Even if some of the works deal with hard and
international exhibitions – for instance, the Venice “Biennale” and loaded themes, it is also allowable to “have fun,” to amuse.
the “Documenta” in Kassel - and caused painting to be pushed aside Yael Segev’s works combine humor and optimism, animals
in Israel, too. We can also find in this period traces of the need to be and human figures; Dudu Gerstein’s sculptures approach the
connected to the spiritual, mystical, and hallucinogenic tendencies. child in every one of us; and Aviva Beigel amuses herself with
cookie shapes taken from the child’s world, such as hearts and
In recent years, painting and sculpture are back in the center. butterflies.
However, the works do not have a clear and defined stylistic
character. Artists mix various mediums, techniques, and disciplines - Contemporary art in Israel is not necessarily “Israeli art.”
from painting to photography, video, installation and sculpture, from Looking upon the variety of the works, one can not find a
figuration and realism to abstraction: Basil Frank, Varda Carmeli special factor that identifies them exclusively as Israeli. They
mix photography and sculpture; David Gerstein, Gad Ullman, and appear as if they could have been done anywhere, and today,
Aviva Beigel mix painting and sculpture; Eduard Grossman, Yael when the technological era provides a direct and virtual access
Segev, Rosi Shaham and Liana Hollander-Gross move gently from everywhere and the world is “a small global village,” the Israeli
figurative to abstract; Gad Ullman uses photographed images (old artist is also an international artist.
Aviva Beigel

ART IN ISRAE
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WORLD OF ART