Online bidding now open for "Spring Comes to Santa Clarita"

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I created a papercut titled "Spring Comes to Santa Clarita" for the Albert Einstein Academy 2013 silent auction, which raises money for the school. It's now available for online bidding – click here for more information or to place a bid.

This landscape is typical of the Mediterranean-style climate in Santa Clarita, featuring rolling hills covered with flora and scrub in a variety of colors and patterns. And of course, it's backed with cut-up comic books.

Spring Comes to Santa Clarita
20" x 10"
Mixed media
2013

Herzl

"Herzl" is a papercut I made based on a photograph of Theodore Herzl at the First Zionist Congress in 1897, in Basel, Switzerland. This piece takes on more significance for me now as my family is planning a trip to Israel.

However, it seems that not many people are as familiar with the original photograph as I am – which is fine; it's a touchstone for me, but not for everybody. So I thought it would be useful to present the original photo alongside my portrait, for those who are interested.

My portrait is made with cut-up Green Lantern comics – because Herzl is known for the words, "Im tirtzu, ein zo agada" – "If you will it, it is no dream." And of course, Green Lantern's ring is powered by willpower.

You can still see it live at "You did WHAT to my comics?!?",  now showing at Brave New World Comics in Newhall, California (details here). A color catalog of all works on display is available for download as a PDF here – and though many of them have sold, there are a few works still available for purchase.

"Number Theory"

I'm pleased to be donating a papercut to ANOTHER fundraising auction happening tomorrow – this one being held at Brave New World Comics on Free Comic Book Day (tomorrow, May the Fourth) to support the Newhall Public Library!

"Number Theory" is built on a structure of the ten basic Hindu-Arabic numerals (0123456789), and it's about the power of individuals working together. Each person has their particular strengths and skills and backgrounds, and they become magnified by the presence of others. We can all be heroes, and so the background texture for the cut is a collection of superheroes, representing the strength of diversity.

Interested in bidding? You do NOT have to be present to bid; just call the shop at 661 259 4745!

Number Theory
10" x 18"
Mixed media

Spring Comes to Santa Clarita

This papercut is titled, "Spring Comes to Santa Clarita" – I made it for the Albert Einstein Academy  auction being held this Saturday night, May 4; proceeds go to support this local charter school. I modeled it on the rolling hills along Newhall Ranch Road out here in Santa Clarita, with rolling hills covered with flora and scrub in a variety of colors and patterns.

Spring Comes to Santa Clarita
20" x 10"
Mixed media
2013

Art and tacos!

Join me this Wednesday for art and tacos at Brave New World Comics!

The Door is Always Open

Last night my wife and I attended the opening of Gary Baseman's exhibition, "The Door is Always Open," at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

Wow.

I've been following what he's been doing for years, having been first introduced to his work when his was primarily doing commercial illustration for hire, and I've been consistently amazed by what he's done over the years.

This show "explores the influences of Baseman’s Jewish family heritage and American popular culture on his exuberant, boundary-defying art" and centers around his childhood home, which he recreated in the exhibit space by bringing in furniture and furnishings from his parents' home – as well as countless family photos and other items. The result? It's Gary Baseman's upbringing, in three dimensions: we see the dinner table set for Shabbat, featuring his little Magi figurines; we look at photos of his family's Passover seders and his bar mitzvah next to paintings of his "magical gefilte fish" and other contemporary subjects; we sit on his old velvety couch underneath a chandelier he fashioned in the shape of his "happy idiot" snowman.

 So yeah, there's a lot to see – and I highly recommend it to anyone who's able to come.

But what I really wanted to write about was how inspiring it is to see an artist like Gary Baseman embracing his tradition and upbringing, and seeing it come through so strongly in his work. The characters, the imagery, the themes and the stories all have roots in the his family history – and the history of the Jewish people. Girl wearing tefillin? Check.

 

My work is, of course, heavily influenced by my Judaism, so I am particularly affected when I see someone else drawing from the same well to create work that is so unique, so beautiful, so affecting... so powerful.

The night ended with a dedication of the "house" – complete with a custom mezuzah which he designed. How's that for a pervasive pop culture art happening in La La Land? The most well-attended mezuzah hanging I've ever been to.

 Mazal tov, Gary – and yasher koach.

The secret of "The Golem"

Here's how to spot the "secret" Hebrew letters in my papercut, "The Golem" (if you've come here by QR code, welcome aboard!):

See it live at "You did WHAT to my comics?!?" (details here).
A color catalog of all works on display is available for download as a PDF here.

Inundación

This is "Inundación," a new papercut I'm premiering this Saturday night at Brave New World Comics, as part of my new show: "You did WHAT to my comics?!?"

The story of the flood pervades many cultures across the globe. "Inundación" draws from Biblical narrative and Mesoamerican iconography, backed almost entirely by cut-up pieces from the 2008 trade edition of Jack Kirby’s mid-70s comic book series "The Eternals." The one exception is a snippet of text from LIFE Nature Library: The Sea published by Time-Life Books in 1972.

For more details about the show, click here.

Join me for opening night on April 27 at Brave New World in Southern California

 

I'm very excited about this show! The pictures are framed, the catalog is in development, the food and beverages are planned... and it's fewer than ten days away.

Brave New World Comics is such a great venue for me – it's my local comic shop where I buy all my comics, owned and operated by a great friend, and right here in my hometown. It's a small, intimate space, and I'm looking forward to having it filled up with friends for a night of art and pop culture kibitzing. See you there!

Smallville

This is a photo of "Smallville" — a papercut premiering at my next show, at Brave New World Comics in Newhall (Santa Clarita), California.

Please join me at the opening on Saturday night, April 27, from 7 to 10 p.m. Details here.

"Smallville" is 18" x 24" and backed with cut-up Superman comics primarily featuring Smallville, the town where Kal-El was raised; as well, the piece includes bits and pieces of Superman's Fortress of Solitude, and a little Metropolis as well.

The papercut explores the immigrant experience in America – the Statue of Liberty being the entrypoint for many a new American, while Smallville is Kal-El's Statue of Liberty; it's where he becomes an American (an Earthman, really) and where he learns what it is to be human. It's where he learns to be a part of our civilization... but of course he also has his special place to be alone, his Fortress of Solitude – where he can truly be himself, amongst Kryptonian architecture and artifacts. This papercut is an exploration of the dichotomy between staying true to one's origins and assimilating into the larger culture.

The papercut includes pieces from:

• Action Comics 839 (Jul 2006), 903 (Sep 2011), and 15 (Feb 2013) — Geoff Johns, Kurt Busiek, Renato Guedes 

• Superboy 8 (Aug 2011), 10 (Oct 2011), 15 (Feb 2013), 16 (Mar 2013) and Annual #1 (Mar 2013) — Tom DeFalco, RB Silva, Rob Lean

• Superman 3 (Jan 2012), 15 (Feb 2013) — Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort 

• All-Star Superman 5 (Sep 2006), 11 (Jul 2007) — Grant Morisson and Frank Quitely 

• Adventure Comics  455 (Jan-Feb 1978) — Juan Ortiz and Vince Colletta 

• Teen Titans 7 (Mar 2004) — Geoff Johns and Tom Grummett 

• Supergirl 15 (Feb 2013) — Mike Johnson and Mahmud Asrar 

• Superman: Peace on Earth (Jan 19990 — Alex Ross and Paul Dini 

• Shatter (1988) — Peter Gillis and Mike Saenz

• Etc. Book One (1989) — Tim Conrad and Michael Davis

Workshops at Temple Beth Am

Today was day one (of two) of the papercutting workshops I'm leading at the The Rabbi Jacob Pressman Academy at Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles.

Great school, from what I can tell – they bring in about a dozen artists during the year leading various workshops, including lettering/calligraphy and stencil art (and papercutting, of course).

Good kids and no injuries – what else could I ask for? Here are a few shots of us at work.

Hag kasher v'sameach!

I hope you're all getting yourselves (and your houses) ready for Pesach. Do you make your own haggadah, or do you have a favorite prefab one? Perhaps one from a coffee company? [snicker]

My "Geulah" ("Redemption") papercut is featured on the Haggadot.com blog today, as part of their build-your-own haggadah project – specifically, for "bringing social justice to your seder."

Boing Boing and Instagram

Wow – the right person saw my work on Instagram (@nicejewishartist), I got picked up by Boing Boing, and BAM! my website traffic picked up.

My show at the PJCC is going well, and work is now selling even more quickly. The show ends on March 19, so go check it out in person if you can, and if you've been thinking about acquiring something for yourself, now is the time to do it. Contact Kimberly Gordon at the PJCC or email me; the show catalog is online here.

Shabbat shalom!

"Shalom" print in auction to support Temple Ahavat Shalom

This is "Shalom," one of the 16 papercuts in my "Paper Tefillah" series. I've donated a giclée print of "Shalom" to the silent auction at this Sunday's Temple Ahavat Shalom Early Childhood Education Center luncheon.

It's a 16" x 20" signed giclée print (archival ink on archival watercolor stock, framed by me). "Shalom" represents the prayer for peace. The dove is a universal symbol for peace; likely because of its presence on Noah’s Ark. The dove in this papercut is in flight with wings unfurled, backed with comics featuring winged heroes who strive to bring peace and defend it, notably Angel from the X-Men, Hawkman, and Zauriel. Also contained within the wings of the dove are the Hebrew words of "Sim Shalom" and English prayers for peace.

It's a low-tech auction – if you want to bid, you've got to go the luncheon (Sunday, March 4, at Temple Ahavat Shalom); call 818 360 2258 for details.

"In the Garden"

“In the Garden” was commissioned by a patron in New Zealand — it's a diptych featuring two trees from the Garden of Eden: the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life.

The trees are similar in structure, underscoring the ambiguity of whether these trees were two different trees or, in fact, the same tree — as has been posited by scholars over the years.

On the left, the Tree of Knowledge is backed with cut up texts related to the tree and the knowledge that came from it; it also features small fruits to tempt Eve and Adam. There are glimpses of the Bible, of encyclopedia entries and textbooks — with references to apples, belief, and the traditions that have sprung from this story.

On the right, the Tree of Life is alive with natural greens and browns from cut-up comic books and other textures, featuring three red fruits. The tree is a study of life, for while it is composed of wood and leaves, those are representations on paper which only symbolize those natural elements; and yet, that paper is made from wood, which of course is a more literal backing of the tree’s forms.

Comics used include:

• Animal Man #3 (January 2012)
• Azrael #3 (July 2009)
• Batman #493 (May 1993)
• Batman: Lovers and Madmen (2008)
• Daredevil: The Man Without Fear, v2 #56 (March 2004)
• Flash Annual #2 (1988)
• Green Lantern Corps #47 (June 2010)
• JLA: Liberty and Justice (November 2003)
• The Lone Ranger #25 (January 2011)
• The Power Company #4 (July 2002)
• Powerless (2005)
• Shazam! Power of Hope (November 2000)
• Teen Titans #4 (December 2003)
• Trinity #23 (November 2008)
• Vermillion #4 (January 1997)
• The Last of the Greats #5 (February 2012)

Other texts used include:

• Cavins, Dr. Lorimer V., ed. The Wonderland of Knowledge, Volume 1. Publishers Productions, Inc., 1938.
• Cohen, Mortimer J. Pathways Through the Bible. JPS, 1946.
• Cohen, The Reverend Dr. A., ed. The Soncino Chumash. Soncino Press, 1947.
• Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1951.
• Farb, Peter. LIFE Nature Library: Geology. TIME-LIFE Books, 1963.
• Holst, Bernhart P., ed. World-Scope Encyclopedia, Volume 1. Readers League of America, 1945.
• Raisin, Dr. Jacob S., Ph.D. The Haskalah Movement in Russia. JPS, 1913.

Inscribe - a mezuzah artwork by Kingsley

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to visit the Peninsula Jewish Community Center in Foster City (Northern California) to lead a gallery tour of my current show, "You did WHAT to my comics?!?" – and I was pleased to discover, just inside the entrance, this exciting piece of Judaica: a mezuzah by a woodworker who goes by the name Kingsley.

The mezuzah is called "Inscribe"and stands over 5 feet tall, and is made of wood and paper. It displays the Hebrew letter shin prominently at the top, traditionally inscribed on the exterior of a mezuzah (it's the first letter of the text on the scroll inside, and also the first letter of one of our names for God). There are 613 small circular openings in the front of the piece into which are inserted small scrolls with "hopes, prayers, and dreams"; occasionally the PJCC asks special guests to add a scroll to the piece.

On the side is the mezuzah scroll itself (the klaf), wedged into an opening carved into the wood made specifically to fit it.

"MaAriv Aravim" print in online auction raising money for Brandeis Hillel Day School

A giclée print of "MaAriv Aravim," one of the sixteen papercuts in my "Paper Tefillah" series, is now available in an online auction supporting the Brandeis Hillel Day School in San Rafael, California. Proceeds from the auction will directly benefit academic programming and faculty support at the school.

To place a bid, visit Bidding for Good.

"MaAriv Aravim" is the nighttime prayer that praises God for bringing on the evening, for ordering the stars and the planets, for the cycle of the seasons and the immutable processes of the universe. We praise God for keeping the heavenly bodies spinning in their orbits, and the papercut is designed to reflect these orbits. At the center is a hamsa, an ancient symbol of heavenly protection, with a mystical eye in the center backed with words from the prayer itself.

The hamsa can be seen as a representation of the hand of God, rolling light into darkness and darkness into light. The piece is composed of various space-related and dark-toned comics, to convey a sense of the evening. One of the main comic book heroes used in the background is Cloak, who harnesses the power of darkness to fight evil alongside his partner Dagger. The piece also features some comic captions which are recontextualized to explore God’s role and presence in the universe.

Photos from the PJCC gallery tour

My thanks and appreciation go out to everyone who joined me for the gallery tour yesterday at the Peninsula Jewish Community Center.

I had a wonderful time talking with you about art and Judaism, and I'm especially pleased I got to meet those of you who have been purchasing work from the show. I signed some prints and waved my hands around, talked with old friends and made some new ones.

There are still works available for purchase; check out the catalog here to see everything in the show, alongside descriptions of each piece and listings of the comics I cut up to make them – and contact me if you're interested in acquiring a piece.

Aishet Chayil

This is a papercut called "Aishet Chayil" ("Woman of Valor") I made for friend in memory of his wife; it's a very personal interpretation of the words from the book of Proverbs:

A woman of valor, who can find? Her value is far beyond rubies and pearls.
Her husband’s heart relies on her and he shall lack no fortune.
She does him good and not harm, all the days of her life.
Strength and dignity are her clothing...

This papercut is a portrait based loosely on a photograph of Julie wearing her pink jersey as the Honorary Bat Girl for the Los Angeles Dodgers. It is inspired structurally by Boticelli’s “Birth of Venus” and Modigliani’s portraiture.

The papercut is backed with cut-up comics featuring women of valor: predominantly Wonder Woman, whose star-spangled blue skirt and golden accessories are prominent, but also Sue Storm, Black Canary, Dazzler, Raven, Supergirl, and Spider-Girl.

The words of Aishet Chayil in Hebrew and in various English translations are central to the piece, while a caption in the gold ring reads, “They called me Wonder Woman.”

In addition to the comics used in this papercut, it also contains pieces of Mortimer J. Cohen’s Pathways Through the Bible (JPS, 1966), the CCAR Shabbat Manual (KTAV, 1972), Dr. Joseph Hertz’s Authorised Daily Prayer Book (Bloch Publishing, 1954), the 2012 Los Angeles Dodgers Calendar, The All-Star Story of the Dodgers (Stadium Comics, 1979), and a ticket from the May 10, 2009 Dodgers game.

"Fantastic Exodus" showing in Northern California

"Fantastic Exodus" is one of the new works in my one-man show at the Peninsula JCC in Foster City, California. I'll be leading a gallery tour and making a brief presentation this Sunday, February 10; visit the PJCC website for details on the show or to reserve your spot.

In this papercut, the members of the Fantastic Four (from left to right: Reed, Ben, Johnny, and Sue) represent the four elements (water, earth, fire and air) and four of the elements of Israel’s journey from slavery to freedom (crossing the Sea of Reeds, gathering at Sinai, and being protected by the pillar of fire by night and pillar of cloud by day). As usual, the work is backed with cut-up comics representing these characters and themes:

• Fantastic Four #15 (Jun 1963), 17 (Aug 1963), 21 (Dec 1963), 23 (Feb 1964), 248 (Nov 1982), 265 (Apr 1984), Annual #18 (1984), 282 (Sep 1985), 286 (Jan 1986), 290 (May 1986), 296 (Nov 1986), 297 (Dec 1986), 305 (Aug 1987), 314 (May 1988), 544 (May 2009), 587 (Mar 2011)
• Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure #1 – Apr 2008
• Fantastic Four: Flesh and Stone – 2000
• Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four #34 – May 2008
• The Last Fantastic Four Story #1 – Oct 2007
• Fantastic Four 2099 #6 – Jun 1996
• Fantastic Five: The Final Doom #1-5 – 2007
• The Thing vol. 1 #22 – Apr 1985
• The Thing vol. 2 #2 – Feb 2006, 7 – Jul 2006
• Hulk and Thing: Hard Knocks #1 – Nov 2004
• Ultimate Fantastic Four #3 – Mar 2004, 5 – May 2004, 10 – Oct 2004, 42 – Jul 2007