JOMIX – Jewish Comics; Art and Derivation

The Jewish Art Salon & the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center present:

JOMIX – Jewish Comics; Art and Derivation 

Curated by Joel Silverstein, Richard McBee & Aimee Rubensteen.

Conceived by the Jewish Art Salon.

September 25

12:00-3:00 PM  Opening                                                                                             1:00 -2:00 PM  JOMIX- Jews, the Comics & Art; Past & Present – Panel Discussion with the artists

Sid Jacobson JCC, 300 Forest Dr., East Hills, NY 11548. Map here.

Sept. 8 – Dec. 10, 2016

Online catalog viewable here

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ABOUT THE PANEL

JOMIX- Jews, the Comics & Art; Past & Present

Sunday September 25, 1:00 – 2:00 pm

This discussion panel addresses the relationship of Jews, culture, history and the Comics and Graphic Novel Industries. Presented by experts and current practitioners in the field, this panel is a wonderful educational tool and a chance to hear about the defining role Jews have and continue to play in this fascinating art form.  The panel will further highlight the creation of a specifically modern Jewish identity and its relationship to the visual arts.

Panel Moderator: Joel Silverstein

In addition to curating JOMIX, Mr. Silverstein has originated many other exhibitions for The Jewish Art Salon including The Dura Europos Project, (UJA-NY, & Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art). He is a Founding member of the J.A.S. and has had exhibitions of his own works at Pratt Institute, Columbia University and The Jerusalem Biennial. Author of 60 articles, many concerning Jewish Art, he has been included in Ori Z. Soltes mammoth book: Tradition and Transformation; Three Millennia of Jewish Art & Architecture, Canal Street Studios, NY, 2016.

Panel Participants:

Julian Voloj: Photographer, author.  Mr. Voloj is the author of the current Graphic Novel, Ghetto Brother which won an In the Margins, Book Award, 2016 and a Jewish Cultural Achievement Award in 2013. Original pages from Ghetto Brother were recently donated to the Comics and Graphic Novels Library at Columbia University.  He is also the author of the upcoming Graphic Novel, The Joe Shuster Story, about the original artist and collaborator on Superman.

Aliza Donath; Artist, Cartoonist, author Lamps of Light. Republished in Jewish Comics Anthology, Alternative History Comics, 2014, edited by Steve Bergson.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION 

From the invention of Superman by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, to the current graphic novel explosion, Jews have always served an essential and indispensable role in the comics and graphic novel industry. This exhibition documents contemporary Jewish artists creating comics and comic book inspired art. The term JOMIX refers to underground independently produced “Comix” of the 60’s and 70’s, edgy and transgressive in nature. By reinvestigating traditional genres like superhero, romance, horror, science fiction and confessionals with particular Jewish subject matter, artists are free to examine complex questions of what it means to be both a Jew and an artist in the current age. 

Contemporary Jewish artists use the medium for a variety of reasons. They can illustrate traditional Jewish texts like the Torah and Talmud in new ways: Zev Engelmayer’s Genesis; Abraham and Dov Smiley’s Book of Jonah.  Artists use comics to address issues of identity, difference, sexuality, Feminism, assimilation: Miriam Libicki’s Toward a Hot Jew, Ariel Schrag’s, The Chosen. ‘Are You Jewish?’, Yonah Lavery, Adventures of R. Giddal, Boy Mikvah Lady. They can use satire and parody, confronting political and/or religious hypocrisy by inserting a particular Jewish sensibility: Eli Valley’s I have to draw Him, Josh Edelglass’ Inglourious Basterds parody and Al Weisner’s Shaloman, a direct reference to Superman as he appeared in Action #1, 1938.

In the 21st Century, mainstream publishers have been far more accepting concerning Jewish identity and diversity. From the collection of Michael Lustig: Fantastic Four Vol. 3 #56, Script by Karl Kessel, pencils by Stuart Immonen,  and Howard Chaykin, Superman,Vol.2. Both Marvel and DC publishers allude to their creations Jewish origins.

Graphic novels have burst on the scene in recent years highlighting a new artistic and emotional complexity.  Motu Rodan contributes Exit Wounds an emotional tale of suicide bombers and life in contemporary Israel, while Julian Voloj presents Ghetto Brother, the tale of a gang member in the South Bronx facing life changing revelation when he discovers he is Jewish.

 JOMIX-Jewish Comics Art and Derivation demonstrates that Jewish artists have liberated themselves beyond the old separations and formalism. They can explore the entire realm of a contemporary Jewish identity fusing visuals and text, high and low ideas, religious and secular thinking. They are now free to explore what it means to be a Jew and an artist in ways unexperienced and even unheard of in previous generations. As contemporary Jewish artists express themselves in comics, they advocate paradigms of reflection, observance and transgression felt on every page.

Participating artists:

Shay Charka, Howard Chaykin, Leela Corman, Jessica Deutsch, Aliza Donath, Dorit Jordan Dotan, Josh Edelglass, Zev Engelmayer, Liana Finck,  Stuart Immonen, Miriam Katin, Jack Kirby, Scott Koblish, Michael Korosty, Yonah Lavery, Miriam Libicki, Sarah Lightman, Rutu Modan, Archie Rand, Ariel Schrag, Arlen Schumer, Liat Shalom, Joel Silverstein,  Dov Smiley, Joshua Stulman, Arthur Szyk, Deborah Ugoretz, Eli Valley, Julian Voloj, David Wander, Al Wiesner, Ephraim Wuensch.

Viewing hours:

Sunday: 8:00am–8:00pm 
Monday-Thursday: 6:00am–10:30pm
Friday: 6:00am-5:30pm
Saturday: 1:00-8:00pm