Page 49 - Studio International - March 1972

for the use of the various creative languages in ground he formed—usually in pencil—a
an era which has made immediacy of stimulation complex network of scribbles. Unlike Pollock
a criterion for validity. or Twombly, Lavie sought to train his hand so
Israel is not situated within this area of as to capture the spontaneous creative drawing
mobility. It is neither a stop on the road nor a mechanism of a child. Thus, exercising and
destination. The isolation of its artists has passing from one age-level to another, he
existed ever since there has been artistic created, alternatively, figurative and abstract
activity, in the Western sense, in the country. images, outside any figurative or abstract
Art circulates in its cities, museums and context. Later he formed a new attitude to the
galleries as it does in the world, between New image in a series of paintings onto which he
York, London, Amsterdam, Milan and pasted posters, or, on the contrary, coloured
Düsseldorf. The art market is based partly on tourist snapshots which he erased with
limited internal consumption and partly on vigorous brushstrokes.
tourists in search of something specifically Tumarkin (b. 1933) is a painter, sculptor
local. The means and circulation of the only and stage designer. After returning from a long
two art periodicals appearing in Israel are too stay in Europe in 196o, he created 'monuments'
limited to enable them to serve as effective which, in form and material, were intended to
vehicles of information. The main museums embody both symbolism and function. The
—the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and the Tel forms are essentially abstract, yet their placing
Aviv Museum—deal very little with of mass against linear elements would give
contemporary international art; beside them an almost surrealistic aspect were it not
retrospective exhibitions of Picasso, Klee and for the artist's explicit intentions. Let us take,
Soutine and group exhibitions on themes such for example, the Arad Monument (1962-68):
as Surrealism, Art in Movement, and Art and this is a structure composed from massive
Science, the environment by Jean Pierre concrete elements which appears to have been
Raynaud in the Israel Museum last year was an set on a hill at the edge of a steep slope opposite
exception or at best a harbinger of things to a barren desert landscape by a new town
come. —which the visitor also sees as surrealistic. At
It is possible by thus defining the conditions first sight it is like an imaginary spaceship, but
in Israel as being opposed to those prevailing its situation makes it into what Tumarkin calls From this point on avant-garde art in Israel
in the West, to explain how the artists of Israel an 'observation point'. The bare concrete established itself in these two realms, even
developed their production parallel to rather expresses the presence of civilization in relation though the direct influence of the two artists was
than within world trends. These abnormal to the surrounding primeval landscape. The slight.
conditions have in the end given rise to a structure is subject to the glaring light and is
creative framework having a character and divided into elements of light and shade, with WHY NOT MAO ?
development with rules of its own. The the light area reserved for purposes of approach, That is not to say that there are no artists in
absorption of external attitudes, ideas, and presence and observation, and the shaded area Israel who do not function outside these two
means of expression could only be applied serving as shelter. The dominant vertical frameworks : Uri Lifshitz, Yaacov Grinberg
through looking inwards and relating to element is a symbol of the dramatic contrast and Ivan Schwebel are talented artists who have
situations particular to Israel. This is really a between construction and desolation, and the breathed life into the figurative tradition and
vicious cycle which could only be broken by hollow interior—also a shelter—is meant as shaken it out of the influences of the 1930s;
those working in Europe. I shall mention protection from the wind and to contain an others, like Alima or Micha Ullman represent
among them Yaacov Agam, who has lived in echo. This Monument and others which abstract or conceptual trends which are
Paris for over twenty years, and especially Tumarkin created are mostly situated far from widespread in the world today; Ami Shavit
Menashe Kadishman and Benni Efrat who a town or in the approach to one. In the light of (b. 1934), who has constructed objects containing
are working in London. The evolution of their later developments in Israeli art, they can now lights and forms which express by their
works was made possible due to their be interpreted in terms of the presentation or movement different concepts of time, is today
exchanging the local creative conditions for activation of an object in specifically local using these objects as starting-points for
those outside Israel. cultural and demographic contexts, far beyond silk-screens, breaking up their elements in new
their significance as objects or as anonymous forms by a series of metamorphoses. In contrast
THE BREAK processes. Thus, as Tumarkin sees it, the town to these there is no artist in Israel who makes
Even ten years ago there was still no artist in is a fait accompli whereas the dynamism of use of the symbols which have bridged between
Israel who could not be defined either as a life is embodied in the structure which brings a the art of the United States and Europe: I am
sculptor or a painter. Only after 196o did a creative effort to the desert through the referring here to the images of solidarity,
small number of young artists begin to question presence and will of man. Tumarkin's protest or message, like portraits of Mao or
the alternatives which had been fixed from 1948 Monument accompanies and echoes the birth Che Guevara, 'Make Love Not War' and
with the founding of the 'New Horizons' group of the town due to the complexity of its generally to the employment of words or
whose members and their followers had placed symbolism and functions. written or printed slogans in the English
the principle of abstraction opposite the So these two artists saw in isolation from the language. Why ? Perhaps because the Israeli
expressionistic tradition in landscape and figure outside world a condition which it was tends to identify himself with problems which
painting. necessary to accept and which made possible and he has witnessed and refrains from connecting
Raffi Lavie and Yagel Tumarkin were the necessitated taking a clear stand concerning them with world problems, and certainly
first to do the questioning. In their works new specifically local conditions. Lavie's painting is because he is not on the whole subject to
possibilities were suggested. Raffi Lavie related to the local tradition based on the ideological dictates. Therefore, he tries, when
(b. 1937) found self definition, from his first alternatives which I have described and he discovers an affinity with paths of action and
works in 196o, beyond the concepts of Tumarkin tries to achieve self definition in ways of thought which exist among artists
abstraction and figuration: on an abstract relation to local life and culture. outside his country, to find their application in

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