Seeking Jewish Art Amid Bubbes & Bikinis

Saul Sudin‘s observations on the 2014 Art Basel in Miami with the intent of discovering contemporary Jewish art.

“At the “Red Dot” fair, painter Igal Fedida, one of the artists I had been looking forward to seeing, showed off his Genesis Series. These explosive meditations on creation include works on canvas, metal, and wood. They range from the larger 35”x 60” “From Void to Existing” to smaller works like the 22” circular “Galgal” pieces. Fedida plays with a chaos of abstract imagery and the precision of Hebrew typography to address the concept of G-d’s creation of the universe through speech. Most impressive was “Bo-Hu” a 36”x 48” piece that seamlessly combines both elements and allows the viewer to decide whether there is a flow of movement cascading downward or emerging upward. It is also significant for placing the complete Hebrew alphabet in order, save the letter “Bet”, which normally is second but here is placed first. This is a reminder of how the word “Beresheit” (creation), and therefore the entire Torah, begins with this letter.”

Read full article in Hevria here

Image: Igal Fedida – “Bo-Hu”