Iconia has moved
January 13th, 2010 by Menachem Wecker
I may come back to visit, but for now, Iconia has moved to the Houston Chronicle. Check it out at http://blogs.chron.com/iconia/.
Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category
Eric Robert Parnes, Jean Pierre Ramos at STILLLIFE
December 19th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
The above image comes from the Md.-based STILLLIFE. Here’s the caption: “Clockwise: Eric Parnes ‘Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll’ (in Farsi) neon sign 18″x20″ 2008. Jean Pierre Ramos ‘Men’s shirt’ vegetable ivory button, 2009. Jean Pierre Ramos ‘Behind the Scenes’ 2009. Eric Parnes ‘KFC’ acrylic on canvas 8″ x 6″ 2009.”
According to the promotional materials, Parnes is an American Iranian who presents an “intentional revision of the ways in which grapheme have driven war, religion, and fashion through time,” and Ramos is “a multi lingual New Yorker of Colombian and French ancestry.”
For those who have time to visit Parnes’ website, I find the Shopping and News Anchors series particularly interesting and provocative. The Judaica series puzzles me a bit, and I will have to give it more thought.
My recent interviews on social media
November 7th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
After getting some very generous coverage from the Washington Post and NBC for my (and my colleagues’) social media use at GW, there has been a good deal more momentum. I am involved in the new Association for Social Media and Higher Education, which is hosting an event on Nov. 12 about Twitter use and the U.S. military. RSVP information here.
I am also interviewed about Twitter on the SimpsonScarborough newsletter under the title “To Tweet or Not to Tweet.”
Finally, I was interviewed by American University students Charly Arnolt and Tom Heijne. The videos appear below:
Quote in Washington Post on social media
October 15th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
I am quoted in The Washington Post story “College’s Staff Is All Thumbs — and Proud of It.” The story also got attention from NBC. Since the first story appeared, I have been hearing from several people working on social media strategies at different schools around the country, and it’s been busy, but quite fun.
News roundup 9/28 Boo-opera, Obama art, comic God
September 28th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
A Metropolitan Opera performance gets booed, in part because of “the villain’s lewd advances toward a statue of the Madonna.”
At the G-20, President Obama gave “art” gifts. The blurb explaining the symbolism is utter nonsense (like FLOTUS’ “pretty predictable” talk on art), perhaps evoking a previous Obama gift that fell short.
Idolatry is alive and well, according to Rabbi Amy Scheinerman, and it makes us think we are God, rather than just created in God’s likeness. (Though the rabbi talks about every kind of idolatry but art.)
Comic books and God: Rev. Mark Bleakley’s artistic inspirations for his stained glass.
To the person who posted 3 nasty comments recently
September 18th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
I know you aren’t a bot, but I found your comments to be totally immature, so I did not approve them to get posted. I wanted to let you know in case you were wondering why they haven’t appeared yet.
The sad thing is that you sort of had some good points, so if you had only phrased them in a respectful way we could have had a good conversation. That said, I visited your blog, and it is hateful as well, so maybe this is the kind of conversation you want to have. That is your right, but not on my site…
Glenn Beck’s attempt to analyze art
September 7th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
I finally had a chance to see Glenn Beck’s rant about Communist art in New York, particularly at Rockefeller Center. I’m pretty sure we are up to the same kind of analysis (studying things that are hidden in plain sight), just mine is real…
If Beck is right that there is a problem of too many hammers and sickles in New York, maybe next he ought to turn his “art” critic’s eye on FOX’s logo.
If you see the graphic on the right, you will probably agree that the logo seems awfully close to the searchlights of the Cathedral of Light at Hitler’s Nuremberg Rallies.
To see Beck’s comments for yourself, check out the video clip:
Tyler Green on Jerry Saltz vs. MoMA
July 8th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
For not showcasing enough women artists, and what it means for art in America. (Spoiler alert: He think it’s bad. I agree completely.)
Painting of the week: Ria Brodell
June 16th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
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.
8 questions for Rabbi Yisrael Pinson
June 10th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
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.
Great image from the Boston Globe
May 4th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
The Globe may be in trouble (as is Jay Severin per the story that appears in the image from the previous link), but at least the Pats now have divine intervention… Story here.
Lego Jesus
April 13th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
It’s not a painting, but this must be the painting of the week: a Jesus made of Lego pieces.
Here are the details:
Where: Sweden
How tall: 5.9 feet
What: copy of Thorvaldsen’s ‘Resurrected Christ’
How long: 1.5 years in the making
How many pieces: 30,000
Read the entire article in The Christian Post.
According to the article, Jesus looks white on the outside, but colored Lego pieces were used underneath. Reminds me of Matt. 23: 25-28:
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
and Luke 11: 39, “And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.”
Also, Lego’s motto is “Only the best is good enough,” which sounds very biblical. Or am I reading too much into it?
7 questions for Yoram Morad, culture attache, Israeli Consulate General in N.Y.
March 31st, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
I connected with Yoram (LinkedIn) via the Consulate’s Twitter handle. According to a bio on the Consulate’s site, Morad joined the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1992, after graduating from Tel Aviv University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, cinema, and communications. He previously served as head of the cinema section in the Ministry and as cultural attache for the Israeli Embassy in Rome.
MW: To what extent is it important for Israeli artists to serve their country through cultural diplomacy? How well is Israeli art received on the global, cultural stage?
YM: There are artists who are happy to know that their success helps people to get to know Israel better, some who do not care about it and some who are in between.
A week ago, an important person from one of the leading artistic agencies in the U.S.A. told me that “these are good times to be an Israeli artist in America.” I tend to believe her.
MW: Is all Israeli art Jewish necessarily? If not, why not?
YM: In my opinion, since Israel is the “Jewish State,” all Israeli art is Jewish or at least relevant to the Jewish cultural dialogue. Even Israeli art made by non-Jewish artists.
MW: Who are some of the most important Israeli painters working today?
YM: Visual artists - Michal Rovner, Guy Ben Ner, Sigalit Landau, Nachum Tevet, Yaacov Agam, [Yigal] Tomarkin, [Menashe] Kadishman, Yigal Ozery…..
MW: What are the most important venues for showing Israeli art in America?
YM: MoMA, PS1, Hirshhorn Museum in Washington…. In short, the major museums and galleries in America
MW: In what ways is Israeli art unique?
YM: It’s cutting edge art, dealing with “local” conflicts that are becoming “universal” like immigration etc., breaking boundaries, creative, multicultural, courageous, not restricted to one style or “dogma” and a fusion of different cultures and styles.
MW: Aliza Olmert is a very talented photographer (whose photos of eggshells I reviewed when it was shown at Hebrew Union College about 5 years ago). How, if at all, did she impact Israeli art when her husband was prime minister?
YM: She has minimized her exposure to the minimum possible.
MW: To what extent is contemporary Israeli art connected to a longer tradition of Jewish art, and to what extent is it something new?
YM: An Israeli artist – Ofri Can’ani, who is currently working in N.Y., can give a two hour lecture on the subject. I will just say that at its inception Israeli art defined itself as “anything but Jewish.” They wanted to give “the new Hebrews” a new kind of culture. Today, more and more Israeli contemporary artists are turning to our Jewish culture and tradition as a source of inspiration, and relate to it in many levels – from secular adaptations of Bible stories to a more spiritual, philosophical artistic dialogue with it.
Image: Yoram Morad, Israeli cultural attaché. AICF.
Ad from DC Metro
March 11th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
Sorry about the low resolution, but it’s the best my BlackBerry could get. 
To what extent should religious art be allowed in the workplace? Part V
February 28th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
This is the fifth installment in a series. See parts four, three, two, and one. I posted the following question on LinkedIn: “Boston College recently introduced religious art into its classrooms. To what extent should religious art be allowed in the workplace? Do you have religious art in your office/workspace? If so, what kind? Do you support its presence at work, or is it offensive?” David Marshall, managing director of Sirleaf Pte Ltd and legal consultant, has more than 40 years of professional experience in the legal field. Connect with him on LinkedIn here. His response appears below.
So long as there is no discrimination on the ground of religion, the wearing or use of religious symbolism in the workplace is acceptable. Thus, due standards of modesty in clothing for women should be allowed including the wearing of the hijab by Moslem women. Sikh men should be allowed to follow the tenets of their religion on shaving and wearing a turban. Hindus should be allowed to place small statues of Ganesh or whichever deity they follow. So either everyone must be allowed to celebrate their religion without discrimination in what they wear, place on the floor or hang from the walls, or no-one must be allowed any display of their religion. As an atheist, I would want to hang pictures of Charles Darwin and other well-known hate figures. I hope that will be all right.
Blogroll under construction
February 18th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
I am revisiting the links on Iconia’s sidebar, so please forgive the mess as I remove dead links (or sites that don’t offer their content for free) and reorganize settings. Do you want me to consider adding your site (or a favorite)? Leave me a comment here. Thanks!
REVIEW: Man on Wire
February 5th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
I saw “Man of Wire” tonight, about Philippe Petit’s 1974 walk on a tightrope between the Twin Towers. The movie obviously is particularly poignant post-9/11 (he refers to “conquering” the Towers, and watches movies about bank robbers to prepare to execute the spectacular feat of evading WTC guards), and has a religious angle (Petit walked between Not re Dame’s towers as well).
I thought another aspect of the film was even more interesting though. One of Petit’s cohorts justifies his involvement by saying he knew it was illegal, but it was the kind of illegal that wasn’t mean or evil. This is an interesting moral position to say the least. Petit also makes a point of expressing surprise that Americans kept asking him why he walked the rope; he thought the act justified itself. If Petit thought his performance art (which I think he did), that shouldn’t justify illegal methods, I think. I welcome feedback on this. (Image: MICA)
Are museums in distress?
January 27th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
My friend Miriam Kagan writes very intelligently on the subject on her blog Generation Y Give.
The appropriate artistic mascot for Warren’s invocation
January 20th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
Or at least the end of it. “The Book of Job: Pl. 1, Thus did Job continually,” by William Blake. More info here.
With new Google Earth art, why should we still visit museums?
January 14th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
This is a very difficult and problematic post for me to write. As someone who has spent a lot of time painting, writing about art in a journalistic context, and studying art in academic settings, I ought to be ashamed three times over for what I am about to write.
I think that if museums and galleries could get there most important works onto Google Earth (like the Prado did), then “aura” and Benjamin’s The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (Wiki) be damned: It would be better to stay home and view the works on the computer than to go see them in person.
It’s far more informative (most of the time) to watch the sports games at home with reputable (and cheap) beer on the couch in HD than it is to go out to the ballpark or arena, where there are no instant replays or clean bathrooms. Surely the experience of going to the game is unique and is worth experiencing on occasion, but the default position ought to be the couch; the game is for special occasions.
Looking at Goya’s and Bosch’s work on GE was probably as close to a prophetic experience as I will ever have. It changes everything. No more trying to fix up pixelated JPEGs in Photoshop trying to make them work in PowerPoint (and imagining the painters turning over in their graves every auto-focus or color balance). GE even lets you see more than the painter could have seen her/himself with a naked eye.
Courbet famously said, “The museums should be closed for 20 years so that today’s painters may begin to see the world with their own eyes.” I will amend that. The museums should consider closing for as long as it takes to bring in Google’s super cameras and once they have their bazillion-megapixel images, they should change their schedules from closed on Mondays to open only on Mondays.
Reviving painting of the week
January 13th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
Thanks to Michelle Halm of Loyola Press for mentioning Iconia on her Twitter page (follow her here). Unfortunately, Michelle mentioned the Painting of the Week series, which had sort of gone defunct, so now I have to revive it. I guess I no longer have an excuse for my laziness. Suggestions are always welcome. If I don’t get any, I will pick my own.
Religious art and twitter
January 12th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
After mocking my girlfriend a good deal for her tweeting (I even drew her a Tweety Bird in the Paint program), I decided to jump aboard. Now I am regretting having stayed away for so long. In particular, three folks have been really helpful and generous with their time. If you Tweet, you should definitely check out their pages and follow them: the Twitter “wizard” from the Getty Museum (page here), James G. Leventhal, marketing director at the Judah L. Magnes Museum (page here), and painter CJ (page here). Even in a very short time on the site, I am realizing that Twitter is a really great community to plug in to. On the other hand, I am finding the religious folks and institutions much harder to track than the art ones. If you have suggestions, please let me know.
If you listen to one podcast this week
January 9th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
Make it Columbia J School’s conversation about Twitter. Access it here. If you don’t already know it, visit Sree’s site too. Calling Sree.net useful is a huge understatement as you will see.
Congratulations to Iconia
January 6th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
This is my 1,000th post, just in time for the new year!
The religious art aficionado’s quick guide to ABC’s “True Beauty”
January 5th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
The new show “True Beauty” (site) is on the TV across the room, and I am catching snippets. It’s no surprise that when I go to the site an ad for Jillian Michaels (of Biggest Loser) pops up. There’s a dramatic moment where a not-so-pretty hostess tells a not particularly attractive contestant that she is being judged in the show not just for her outer beauty, but (gasp!) for her inner beauty as well. The contestant pretended to be as shocked as I was by this declaration.
There ought to be something here for people who care about religion and art — is not the intersection of the two the true domain of beauty? — but so far the show just seems to be about telling moderately attractive people that they aren’t truly beautiful because they are obnoxious to other contestants. It’s not surprising this show is a flop.
I guess there was no chance that a show produced by Tyra Banks and Ashton Kutcher would truly interrogate Proverbs 31:30, “Favor is a lie, and beauty is nothingness, a woman who fears God — she should be celebrated!”
Israel in Gaza: the poem
January 3rd, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
From British award-winning poet, Sean O’Brien:
Katyusha, Katyusha/ Arrow of fire:/ Kingdom Come, is it / Below or above?/ Choked in a tunnel/ With morphine and bread,/ Or charred in the wreck/ Of an olive grove?/ Katyusha, Katyusha,/ Spear of desire,/ Are there green pastures,/ A brave desert rose,/ Or must it be prison/ With pillars of flame?/ Katyusha, Katyusha,/ A grave, or a rose?/ Katyusha, Katyusha,/ God only knows.
Full story at CBC.
Brandon Withrow’s blog gets a facelift
December 29th, 2008 by Menachem Wecker
See the great redesign here. The content is just as worth a regular read as it was before the facelift. (My interview with Brandon here.)
Religious art one of several grievances in suit against Scientology company
December 23rd, 2008 by Menachem Wecker
Article here. If anyone has more insight into what sort of art gets official recognition from the Church of Scientology, please share in the comments or email me. Particularly, I’d love to hear from Scientologists, even if they are not artists.
Upside Down Rothkos
November 18th, 2008 by Menachem Wecker
A.k.a. “caviar for modern art skeptics,” says Art History Newsletter.