Diverse art visions of Israel

OLGA LIVSHIN

Like Canada, Israel is a country of immigrants and, as such, doesn’t have one unique face. And, like Israel, the art show Faces of Israel – on until May 5 – embraces artists from a number of backgrounds, representing divergent creative directions, some of whom are exhibiting at the Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery for the first time.

The newcomers include tapestry weaver Barbara Burns from the United States, Toronto-based photographer and filmmaker Motty Levy, Montreal artist Paulette Sauve, and the North Shore’s Casey Fawsitt, a non-Jewish artist who, while not a professional artist, always had her sketchbook and paints with her wherever she traveled when she worked for Air Canada, which she did for 31 years.

The art of these four is as different as the artists themselves. Burns’ piece is a small, intimate tapestry of Golda Meir, a graphic image in black and gold. Levy’s black and white photograph offers a stark view of two religious men sitting side by side. In contrast, Sauve’s painting of a street café in Tel Aviv is a joyful swish of pastels, as if the street itself is dancing, while Fawsitt’s painting has a more formal feel, reflecting the breadth of the Israeli culture. The Independent spoke with these new presenters by e-mail.

JI: What attracted you to this show?

Levy: One of my ongoing projects is called Eye to Zion. It’s about the changes in Israeli culture over the years and it is very much suited to the show’s theme.

Burns: I am a tapestry weaver and I try to get my work shown wherever I can, especially internationally. The theme “Faces of Israel” seemed a perfect venue for my tapestry “Golda II.”

Sauve: I am a visual artist and, since my visit to Israel in 2005, I have been painting my interpretation of the places that I visited. Some are of the architecture of ancient Jerusalem, others of the contemporary downtown area of Tel Aviv. Among the paintings I made ... some are in the theme of the exhibition: “Faces of Israel.”

Fawsitt: It’s a challenging category. “Faces” in the title suggested portraiture, and I enjoy this genre, but as I approached the theme, I found it daunting. Who, for example, would care to see random faces painted on a canvas? The theme became my personal challenge. Once, I was in church, reading the Book of Job, and I came across my personal epiphany: I wanted to describe the faces of Israel through Israel’s birds. It was very difficult for me to work with a theme in mind, very restrictive – until the main idea was formulated but, thereafter, I couldn’t stop configuring more ideas.

JI: Tell me about your piece.

Sauve: My piece is called “I’m Dancing at the Tal Bagels Café” (translated from Hebrew). It is of a café I visited in Tel Aviv, on Rehov Dizengoff. I was very happy to discover that the painting fit the theme for this exhibition. This painting shows the exciting downtown nightlife, such as music and dancing in the café. In 2005, I began painting several different views of this same scene, and finished the current one in 2012. There is a textured surface in my paintings, with pigments and sculpting paste on the canvas. This texture resembles the patina of artifacts and ancient, stone walls. In this painting, it could suggest archeology in Israel. Since my visit to Israel in 2005, I have enjoyed creating paintings of contemporary Tel Aviv, as well as of the ancient architecture in Jerusalem. These themes inspire me, and I have more paintings on the way.

Levy: This piece was created in 1997 in Mea Shearim, Jerusalem, as part of my long-term project Eye to Zion. The picture’s name, “Modesty,” reflects the essence of religious modesty, and it is part of the diversity and paradox that make the different faces of Israel.

Burns: This tapestry was woven several years ago. I went to a one-woman show on Broadway about Golda Meir and was inspired by the show and especially by the handbill cover, which was a two-tone, black and gold graphic portrait of Golda. This tapestry is from another photograph of her I found online. The tapestry is the second of two I wove of Golda. I’m always asked how long it takes to weave a piece. It depends on how detailed and the fineness of the weave but it takes approximately 30 hours to weave a square foot.

Fawsitt: The most recognized face in Israel is Gilad Shalit, and I did not wish the piece to be political. He is the face of a friend, a colleague, a mother’s son. I had the bird salute him with its tail feather. I liked that connection. The other birds embody the beauty and culture of the country ... a beautiful ballerina ... the IBM building in Tel Aviv ... a fine glass of Manischewitz wine. Also, the wing of the Jerusalem night bird is a cyclamen, Israel’s national flower.

I wanted the painting to be an interesting collage for people to enjoy and realize that the Faces of Israel exhibition would not have happened if brave and inspiring people did not pursue a dream and make it reality.

Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer. She can be reached at [email protected].

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