Sotheby’s (1334 York Avenue; NY, NY 10021; Tel:212.606.7000), second Jewish themed auction which is also taking place today, features paintings, photographs, scuplture and DVDs. While much of the art is of a very Jewish nature one can easily recognize outside influences such as the French Fauves in the works of Mane-Katz, who is well represented here. It is obvious therefore that while weaving a Jewish theme, these artists often see it through the style of their contemporaries.
Can we therefore, talk about Jewish art as more than just the representation of certain subject matter? Absolutely! As I went through the exhibit it was quite obvious that Jewish painters, sculptors, photographers – while using the styles, the colors, the techniques, the equipment prevalent in their time – also bring a unique perspective, a unique sensitivity, a unique joy, a unique pain, all of them quintessentially Jewish.
It is outside the scope of this blog to discuss every single item, or even a significant number of them, but here are a few of the artworks that impressed me.
I found Samuel Bak‘s Untitled (Lot 69), very powerful…
Bak, a surrealist painter, is a Holocaust survivor with a powerful eye for detail – who portrays his personal nightmares and symbolism. The above Untitled work is subtitled (Experimente Mit der Weisheit – Experiment with Wisdom). Without showing an actually war scene, it portrays, the horrors, the aftermath of battle. Painted in 1974, it is estimated at $20,000 to $30,000. Four other works by this painter are included, as well, ranging between $12,000 to $20,000.
Moshe Gershuni is represented by two works, my personal favorite…
…of the two, is the above monochromatic canvas (Lot 86), in shades of grey. Bold, strong, heavy brushstrokes create almost a sculpture on the canvas. It was painted in 2005-2006 and is estimated at $25,000 to $30,000.
Reuven Rubin also has a number of works here that show an evolution of styles and subjects…
Painted in 1928, The Milkman (Lot 27) depicts his love and amazement at the new land he had recently arrived in, Palestine. It has an estimated price ranging from $300,000 to $350,000. Two years later in 1930, Jakob Steinhardt in The Sunday Preacher (Lot 54), painted a powerful prophetic warning against the Weimar Republic’s decadence and the evil of things to come, it is estimated at $100,000 to $150,000.
Between the powerful photography of Adi Nes, to the very personal art (sculpture and DVDs) of Sigalit Landau, works by Ohad Meromi depict the anti-hero.
The Psychedelic Protagonist (Lot 134), shows a despondent would be musician of undefinable age, reaching out – perhaps halfheartedly – for a hallucinogenic mushroom. Will he pick it up? Will he use it? This work is priced between $15,000 to $18,000.
From Ludwig Blum‘s idyllic View of Jerusalem (Lot 8), painted in 1937 and estimated at $40,000 to $60,000…
…to Yigal Ozery‘s study of a decaying building in Window (Lot 124), estimated at $12,000 to $15,000…
From idealism, to warnings and fear, from hope to despair, from celebration to tears, the whole rainbow of human emotions, is represented here in many styles, in many colors. The range of Jewish experience, dreams and nightmares, laughter and tears, yet an absolute belief that future will be a bright one, from the late 19th century onward, is shown through varied media as explained by Jennifer Roth, two evenings ago, on our radio show. There is something here for every taste and almost every pocket!
CS
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