Poem Illustration

Being on a gap year has made me realise that slowly but surely good habits tend to wear off, such as self discipline or energy. Why am I forgetting to write in my blog every week? I have, therefore, set myself a few tasks in order to make the year without feeling utterly useless in my existence, amongst which I have taken upon myself to continue with art. The project has not begun, but on my trip to Barcelona earlier this Summer, I was enthralled by the variety of modernist architecture and was inspired by a guidebook I came across in Gaudi's Sagrada Familia's gift shop to begin a watercolour journal, in which I will paint quick watercolour illustrations of architecture all around me! Beautiful, no? HOWEVER, I cannot find any good art supply stores anywhere in the Holy Land's capital, which means I have begun a new sub-project in the meantime; illustrating poems for birthdays. This all begun a couple of years ago when I illustrated a poem for a dear teacher, 'The Bee', by Carol Ann Duffy, and a year later, a poem for another dear teacher. Both cut outs in penknife on watercolour backgrounds. For a dear friend, I was inspired by Kipling's poem 'If'. I've always thought nineteen is a slightly awkward age. Are you allowed to rave? Are you still considered a child/teenager? My friend turned eighteen a few days ago and at the beginning of the year, she lent me a couple of poetry books (which guiltily, I have just leafed through). One of the dog-eared pages bore Kipling's poem on hope and the future and existence. And I thought, what a perfect poem for any birthday! 'Yours is the world and everything that's in it.' A beautiful poetic verse, yet also non-commital and cliche enough to be appreciated by anyone. The idea of breaking free and becoming independent I illustrated in a ballpoint drawing of a swallow, soaring down the corner of a white page. Behing it, a trickle of crimson watercolour dots. The page is covered with the cutout of the words in circus-type/magic font, which I feel went well with the verse's general evocation and begind the white, crimson coloured card. Although it is not a difficult poem to be inspired by or to analyse, I am starting to realise that illustrating poetry is often an excellent tool to deeply understand the essence of a particular poem!

Art Tradition through the influence of Chagall

It has indeed been a while but honestly, who has time to write in a blog once one has had their interview at university, which is evidently what blogs are all about. Being in Israel for the past couple of days, after having spent most of the summer here made me realise something important about art in Jewish culture. I had always felt that art culture in Jewish tradition is extremely thin. One thinks of Chagall, perhaps, and is awed by his art. I was fortunate enough to visit his hand sown tapestry painting in the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, for the second time this year. I was moved by his sensitivity towards Jewish history: three colossal tapestries, vibrant with colour, life and richness, which represented Jewish history's past, present and future. Scenes from the Bible along with contemporary situations intertwine in a maze of vitality and intense hues, which would cease to move only the coldest of hearts. Chagall is breathtaking, no doubt. However, even in his most emotional paintings, in which happiness and carefreeness is represented through surreal and trademark Chagall floating figures, the message is enhanced through images of Christ and the New Testament. My question is the following: people are so swayed by Biblical imagery, there is no doubt about this. From Rembrandt, to El Greco, to Damien Hirst and back to Chagall, the Bible extremely often plays a crucial role in visual art. Why, therefore, is there not a strong JEWISH art tradition?! I asked this question about a month ago to an art gallery owner in Tsfat, city of Kaballah. He paused and put all his weight on one hip while raising his eyes towards the ceiling as he considered his answer. Eventually, he pivoted on the soles of his feet and told me to look around. Judaism is about innovation, hence Rosh Jodesh, the celebration of a new month, Rosh Hashana, of a new year: the celebration of innovation and ceaseless motivation to discover the new. This is what is represented in art (finally) today: artists use controversial techniques, they take risks, they ave exhibitions in mediocre art galleries in Tsfat and they keep trying if they do not sell. Indeed, only minutes before we had witnessed a Tsfat resident working with glass, as she blew the hypnotisingly colourful fluid into a form, seconds before it dried. Chagall is all very well and good, but all Jews seem to care about, in all aspects, is innovation. Perhaps this is why they, of all people, choose to ignore Biblical tradition when seeking inspiration for art (in general, of course).