Super Heroes, Holy Land: "Jerusalem of Gold"

This is "Jerusalem of Gold," one of the new pieces I'm premiering in my next show, which opens on January 16 at the Dortort Gallery in Los Angeles.

The show is called "Super Heroes, Holy Land!" and it's inspired by my family trip to Israel this past summer — my first time back since my wife and I lived in Jerusalem for a year in the mid 1990s.

The show explores  Israel's history and its present, as well as the narrative inherent in country-building and the ideals of Zionism. The papercuts feature cut-up comics, including Israeli comics I purchased on my trip, as well as pieces of old books, maps and ephemera collected in Israel.

The opening night reception is free to the public, and there are two other artists premiering new work that same evening – a great night of art! Please join me on Thursday, January 16, 2014, from 7-9 p.m. at the Dortort Gallery at UCLA Hillel in Los Angeles: 574 Hilgard Avenue; LA, CA 90024. Parking is available across the street at on-campus meters; call 310-208-3081 for more information. The show is open through March 14.

“Jerusalem of Gold” references the story of Rabbi Akiva giving his wife a tiara with this name — just as the papercut explores the role of women in prayer and the continuing evolution and pursuit of gender equality at the Kotel (the Western Wall). The women in this piece are relegated to the margins, away from the Wall — and the speech bubble above Wonder Woman and her companion is blank, representing the silencing of women’s voices at this holy site.