Jewish Art in America: An Introduction by Matthew Baigell
March 14th, 2007 by Menachem Wecker
My review of Matthew Baigell’s Jewish Art in America: An Introduction is in this week’s Jewish Press.
Here’s the complete interview:
MW: I wonder if you have any ideas what might be on the horizon for Jewish art in America. Your book does such a great job tracking its history, but how, if at all, do you think Jewish art will evolve when it collides with digital art and whatever else might be in store for the next generation of artists?
MB: I do not know how Jewish artists will respond to digital art. However, I think there might be a divide between those Jewish artists who find inspiration in the religion, in things intrinsic to Judaism, and those who maintain a secular attitude, those who find a sense of social justice in their Jewish heritage as if no other religion also has a sense of social justice, and create works extrinsic to Judaism. The latter artists pass on attitudes that can be found among people with good social values whatever their background. Jews have no exclusive claim to good social values.
MW: Why do you think so many people maintain there is something
Jewish about Jewish art? Do you think there is the same tendency amongst Catholics to seek to define Catholic art in that way?
MB: People cling to the notion that there is something Jewish about Jewish art perhaps because they either consciously or unconsciously want to think that there is something special about being Jewish. Even if they are not observant, they want to associate with a “special” or “chosen” group. It allows them a certain elevated identity. There is Jewish subject matter, but not Jewish art.
I should have addred to the first answer that I think the future of Jewish American art lies with those committed to creating works intrinsic to Judaism. The other group, although they make interesting work concerned with issues of, say, assimilation and social justice, are more involved with cultural rather than religious matters. It is those concerned with religious issues who are closer to the evolution of Judaism in America. The others reflect generational issues, important as thesemight be, but these issues are not necessarily critical to the history of Judaism, per se.