My review of “Of Life and Loss: The Polish Photographs of Roman Vishniac and Jeffrey Gusky,” at the Detroit Institute of Arts through July 12, appears in this week’s Jewish Press.
In the article I suggest that although Vishniac is very well known, and Gusky is not, viewers should not be so quick to dismiss the latter as the student and the former as the master. In my estimation, Gusky’s photography holds up very well under careful scrutiny.
Image: Jeffrey Gusky, Desecrated Synagogue and Jewish School, Dzialoszyce, 1999, baryta fiber print, © Jeffrey Gusky.
Also see my interview with Rabbi Aaron Spiegel, who identified Vishniac as one of his favorite artists.
Ria Brodell, “St. Anthony Finds G.I. Joe’s Gun,” 2009, gouache on paper, 11 x 15 inches. judirotenberg.com/
Looking at Boston-based exhibits in anticipation of an upcoming visit, I noticed a show of Ria Brodell’s work at Judi Rotenberg from the show “The Handsome & The Holy” (through July 11). Presumably, G.I. Joe would be the handsome, and St. Anthony is the Holy. See also “He-Man and St. Michael Find They Have a Lot in Common” (link) and “He-Man is Introduced to G.I. Joe” (link), which I am guessing are relevant in deciphering Anthony and G.I. Joe.
I’m not sure if this is relevant, but Brodell’s monks wear brown robes, which might relate to St. Francis’ “beast colored” tunic (and St. Anthony was a Franciscan). In terms of the violent element (G.I. Joe’s gun), there is a violent element to the St. Anthony story — he became a Franciscan to die a martyr like five other martyrs whose bodies were carried to his monastery en route to burial. Most importantly, he was the “finder of lost articles.”
There is clearly more to this painting than I have uncovered so far. Brodell’s other works invoke guardian angels and many self-portraits collaged upon other famous figures. I’m also working my way through Brodell’s website, but I thought I’d share the image above.
Rabbi Yisrael Pinson is director of the Daniel B. Sobel Friendship House in West Bloomfield, Mich. Since joining the Friendship House, he has helped create a local Jewish Recovery Community (and here) where recovering addicts are helped through support, guidance, friendship, and community. Rabbi Yisrael facilitates Jewish Recovery meetings, where recovering addicts from all 12-step programs meet and share regularly. He also teaches classes on Judaism & Recovery. I first encountered him on Twitter (follow him here).
MW: Do you think there is a such thing as Jewish art per se? Why?
YP: I think that when people say Jewish Art they can be referring to the following:
- Art created by Jewish people, but that doesn’t necessarily have any Jewish theme to it.
- Art that depicts Jewish objects of figures, but not necessarily created by a Jewish artist.
- Art that is inspired by Jewish beliefs and Torah teaching.
To me the first two are art that incidentally happens to be related to a Jewish person or item. I believe that certain art is derived and inspired from Jewish values. I would call that Jewish Art.
MW: Who are your favorite Jewish artists?
YP: I don’t have any. The only art that I seek out, is the art of song. I really enjoy old Chassidic melodies.
MW: Is it your sense that Chabad in particular, and Chassidim in general, tend to be more supportive of the arts than their mitnaged peers? To what extent is it your understanding that the Rebbe supported the arts?
YP: I would like to believe that Chassidism allows for the expression of the emotions more than other groups. If we look at art as the expression of the soul, it will make sense that Chassidic leaders showed great interest in the art of song, and some in the art of painting. The previous Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitschak Shneersohn, recounts a particular episode when he visited Vienna with his father, the Rebbe RaShaB, and his father spent hours in the museum looking at paintings of Raphael. There are Chassidic stories that recall the time they went together to a concert hall to attend a philharmonic performance.
MW: Does idolatry still exist today? Are there things you would not hang on your wall for fear that they violated the second commandment?
YP: Idolatry is alive… Have you ever visited India or Thailand? People still worship all kinds of gods, and really believe that certain inert objects have power over them. For the record I don’t have FEAR of violating any of the commandments… I believe that have a different relationship with G-d… I try my best not to transgress any of the 613 commandments, including the one prohibiting idolatry. I wouldn’t have any kind of statues in my house.
MW: Would you enter a church or another non-Jewish place of worship to see art? Is it permissible for Jews to enjoy art of other faiths?
YP: It is prohibited to enjoy or benefit from anything that is related to idolatry, including the joy of art.
MW: Can painting constitute a mitzvah and/or prayer? Could it ever replace formal prayer with a siddur and a minyan, or would it have to be in conjunction with that?
YP: Painting can be a from of spiritual expression, if it has a purpose of bringing more G-dliness into the world. It cannot replace a formal prayer that we are obligated to recite, but can definitely supplement it. That doesn’t prevent anyone to pray to G-d on his own, using any form of expression that is not prohibited in the Torah. At times I connect by singing a melody, sometimes I read a chapter of Psalm. Prayer is the act of connecting, and I believe we can connect beyond the required readings.
MW: Chabad is perhaps the Jewish community that most engages in outreach to non-observant Jews. Do you think art can play a role in this outreach, whether to less connected Jews or to a larger non-Jewish public?
YP: Absolutely. The Rebbe always encouraged artists to utilize their talent and influence to reach out to people that would otherwise not been exposed.
MW: Since this conversation originated on Twitter, who are the most important Jewish voices on Twitter in your estimation?
YP: I haven’t seen enough original Jewish thought emerge from Twitter yet. For now we see a lot of the bloggers, and old media that utilize Twitter to promote their material. I like @JewishTweets it encourages followers to take actions in their Judaism in an original way.
Link here, for my review of the show Reclaimed: Paintings from the Collection of Jacques Goudstikker at The Jewish Museum until August 2.
[UPDATE: Did anyone else notice Obama refers in his Cairo talk to “Holy Koran” and “Holy Bible” but simply “Talmud” and “Torah” sans the “holy” epithet?]
I just finished listening to the Obama Cairo Speech, and was particularly interested in this part:
I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground. As the Holy Koran tells us, “Be conscious of God and speak always the truth.”
It seems to me that this is an area where art can help us find common ground. In the President’s words,
It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation.
Reminds me of the beginning of this piece I wrote on Islamic art (more on the anti-Muslim letter here).
My review about Mormons and Chaim Potok appears here.
[[UPDATE: Mormon Times has reprinted the article.]]
The abhaya mudra gesture from Buddhist and Hindu art figures prominently in William Safire’s “On Language” column, though Buddhist scroll-painting techniques are elsewhere facing threats from modernity.
“Art museums have two central roles they can serve when the world is going to hell in a handbasket,” is just one of the lovely aspects of this great piece on museums and edginess/self-censorship.
MFA Boston gets to a keep a Kokoschka (I grew up loving), which a court said had outlived the statute of limitations, and might have been “legitimately” acquired by the Nazis. (There is also other good news in the Mass. art world.)
First porn literature festivals, and now asking for more sex in the arts? The eroticism of UK-based arts coverage. This reminds me of what may art teacher says is the test of good painting: something you’d want to take to bed with you.
An attempt to explaining what’s the big deal about the Mona Lisa, without once invoking the code.
