Categories
Art Exhibition Art Projects

“State of Emergency”

March 2023

״מצב חירום״

A state of emergency has been in place in Israel from the day it was declared, May 19, 1948 until today.

A state of emergency gives the Knesset or the government the authority to allow the government to implement unique arrangements – emergency regulations, sometimes while proportionately infringing fundamental freedoms.

The law does not define reference scenarios which, given their realization, would allow the Knesset or the government to establish emergency regulations. (Wikipedia)

“State of Emergency” 18.3.2023
Work in Progress

In these difficult times of dramatic changes of the regime and the laws in Israel, everyone clings to symbols. The blue and white Israeli flag with the Star of David in the center became the symbol of the masses. Everyone carried a flag and went out into the streets.

Kaplan St. Tel Aviv 18.3.2023

There was even a symbolic feeling that the flag and the Star of David will protect the people in times of need as in the Biblical Times. Indeed, young people were seen holding the flag made of simple cloth in-front of their faces as a protector from the sprayed huge hoses of water at them.

A sprinkler sprays on protesters in Jerusalem 2020.
Adaptation: Olivier Fitussy, Flash/90

The Flag and the Star of David as a symbol – protecting the people and a physical tool for expression.

Demonstration in Jerusalem – people and flags. 27.3.2023
Haharetz, front page

The “Economist”, one of the most important newspapers in the world, uses the Star of David as a symbol of Israel, comes out with a sharp cover against the legal reform in Israel, with the headline “Will Bibi dismantle Israel?”

The “Economist”, uses the Star of David as a symbol of Israel, 16.3.2023

Stages in my work: Drawings and than searching for found object of wood to put together the Star of David under suppressed area, as in our lives. Also assumable simple humble wood to create the star.

Star of David Handcuffed 21.2.2023
Stages of work

Searching the right BLUE colour and the proper size.

The shades of gray represents the mental stages of the nation and of the individual suffering.

At this time and stage the Star of David and Democracy are trapped by evil forces.

We will continue to demonstrate!

We will not give up democracy and our individual freedom!

We’ll return of the honor and pride of the symbol of Jewish freedom – The Star of David.

“State of Emergency”
Star of David and our Democracy are trapped 11.2.2023
Drawing on paper A3, crayons, pencils and charcoal
Categories
Art Exhibition

“Anti War” Show

Graduation Exhibition at Ravensbourne College of Art, London 1978

It is customary to say “At dawn one can see the coming day”, and so this time I am writing about my graduation exhibition at Ravensbourne College of Art, London in 1978.

After so many years, I can say that in many ways the Anti War Show of 1978 reflects to this day my work, my ideas.

Anti War Show. 1978
Graffiti wall “No Polaris”.
Black metal bars = Statue of Submarine.
(Top left) Fiberglass flag waving on to Sub.
(Top right) Large silk screen print “People”, on canvas.
(Up front) Anti-War manifesto-flag, in glass box.

The theme of my exhibition was “Anti War”. The show included different types of works – Large paintings, Submarine sculpture, Silk screen prints, Outdoor display and Written manifest as art-work.
Already in my second year in college, I insisted on making a short film (8 mm, 22 minutes) which was indirectly related to the same subject matter of Anti War – “Manna” (Looking for a leader).

At that exhibition, and over the years, I realize that I choose the materials to work with – according to the subject matter (for good or for bad 😊), and try not to “stick” to one form of art.  

Black Metal bars = Statue of Submarine 2 meters high
(Top) Fiberglass flag waving
(Background) Graffiti wall “No Polaris”

The works in the Anti War exhibition included very large iron bars of 2 meters high, that symbolize a submarine – THE symbol of weapon of war. The statue of the submarine in its symbolic-minimalist form was chosen for several reasons: These were the years when “Polaris” ballistic missiles were provided on submarine-based as nuclear weapons systems. 1968-1996
Also at the time, there were many demonstrations and marches against the Polaris. In addition, on a personal level, my husband was missing, with a crew of 69 Israeli soldiers of The Dakar submarine, that went missing in the Mediterranean during the Cold War.

Nothing Changed – Weapon is most important!

General Look at the exhibition + Flag (right up)
WE NEED YOU! Polaris.

The main theme of the exhibition was “The Flag”.
The flag was introduced in the exhibition in many forms – A fiberglass flag, colorless and without a nationalistic identity, waving on a minimalistic submarine-sculpture.

The Flag. Collage.

A painting of a patriot man proudly carried a national flag, being so eager carrying the flag that it covered also his eyes.

Outdoor display flag, 40 meters long – whose beginning was proudly waving high but at the end it sunk deep in the ground in a pool of blood. That flag in a way summed up the exhibition.

And an Anti-War manifesto-flag, in which the text is embedded in English and Hebrew. The flag was placed in a glass box. (see below)

Unfortunately and strangely enough the Anti-War manifesto-flag, was stolen from the exhibition.

Anti-War manifesto-flag
Blood Border, Silk Screen, 1978

נוהגים לומר “עם עלות השחר רואים את היום כולו״, וכך אני כותבת הפעם על תערוכת הסיום שלי  בקולג׳ ריבנסבורן בלונדון, 1978, תערוכה אשר משקפת במידה רבה את עבודתי עד היום.
נושא ​תערוכת הסיום היה – “אנטי מלחמה”, שכלל סוגים שונים של עבודות – ציורים, ​פסל, ​ הדפס​י משי, ​עבודה גדולה מחוץ לכותלי הקולג׳ ומניפסט כתוב כעבודת אמנות – בעברית ואנגלית.
כבר בשנה השנייה בקולג ‘התעקשתי להכין סרט קצר (2 דקות) שקשור .”Manna” (מחפש מנהיג)

למדתי שלאורך השנים אני בוחרת את החומרים לעבודותי בהתאמה לאופי הנושא, ומשתדלת לא “להיצמד” לצורת אמנות אחת

העבודות בתערוכה כללו – פסל מיריעות ברזל גדולות, בגובה 2 מטר, שהיו כסמל לצוללת – סמל נשק המלחמה. פסל הצוללת בצורתו הסמלית-מינימליסטית נבחר מכמה סיבות: אלה היו השנים בהן סופקו טילים בליסטיים “פולאריס”, מערכות נשק גרעיניות לצוללות.
כמו גם, באותה עת היו הפגנות וצעדות רבות בלונדון ובאנגליה נגד טילי ה״פולריס״. ובנוסף, ברמה האישית, בעלי היה אחד מ- 69 נעדרי הצוללת דקר, שנעלמה בים התיכון במהלך המלחמה הקרה.

הנושא המרכזי של התערוכה היה “הדגל״
הדגל הוצג בצורות רבות – דגל פיברגלס, חסר צבע וללא זהות לאומית, שהתנופף על פסל הצוללת המינימליסטית
ציור של פטריוט נושא בגאווה דגל לאומי, ובהיותו כה להוט, הדגל מכסה גם את עיניו
דגל שהתנוסס מחוץ לכותלי הקולג׳, באורך 40 מטר, שבתחילתו מתנפנף גבוה בגאווה אך בסופו שקוע באדמה רווייה בדם
דגל-מניפסט אנטי מלחמתי, בו מוטבע טקסט באנגלית ובעברית. הדגל הונח בתוך קופסת זכוכית (בתמונה למעלה)

באופן מפתיע ומאכזב דגל-המניפסט האנטי מלחמתי נגנב מקופסת הזכוכית