Cleveland "Guests" Portraits for Sukkot 2020

 Last year at this time Rabbi Shawna and I were in Cleveland with the community of The Temple-Tifereth Israel, praying and studying and creating and celebrating Sukkot (check out what that was like). This year we had the opportunity to be back in Cleveland.... virtually. We joined them today for some visual text study about Sukkot and "the guests you can still have in your sukkah" (ushpizin and ushpizot), and for a sneak peek at what's going on in my studio.

I also shared with the TTTI community three new portraits I just completed, inspired by the upcoming virtual visit: three guests I'd invite to join me in the sukkah. Last year I added four guests to the traditional seven patriarchs and matriarchs: Cleveland's own Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, creators of Superman; Rabbi Sally Preisand, a Cleveland native who is America's first female rabbi (and visited the gallery to see her portrait!); and Golda Meir, Israel's first female prime minister.

This year's three new guests all have Cleveland connections. The first one is Simson Thorman, the first Jewish permanent resident of Cleveland, an immigrant from Bavaria who was a founder of the city's first Jewish congregation and the first Jew to serve on the Cleveland City Council. His portrait is made with cut-up comics featuring Nightcrawler, another German immigrant.

 

Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver is beloved by TTTI because he was their rabbi for 46 years starting in 1917. He was an early champion of rights for labor, for worker's compensation and civil liberties, though his highest priorities were to advance respect for and support of Zionism. 

 

My portrait of Silver is made of cut-up Superman comics focused on Perry White and the Daily Planet offices, inspired by his fighting for workers’ rights, and the renewed understanding 2020 has given us of the importance of those who work in the press and other fields essential to our emotional, political, and physical well-being.

 

My portrait of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is made of cut-up She-Hulk comics (she’s a super hero and her alter ego Jennifer Walters is a lawyer focused on defendants’ rights).

 

I wanted to capture the fight that “the notorious RBG” (in her "dissent collar") and *all* of us are engaged in for justice for all.

The portrait includes text from the Book of Judges (on Deborah), the text from Deuteronomy on “Tzedek Tzedek tirdof,” some Justice League comics, and pieces of an RBG comic book biography.

Can't wait to get back to Cleveland in person.

Deep Space Shiviti

“Deep Space Shiviti” is a papercut I created for Rabbi Paul Kipnes in December 2019, commissioned as a birthday present by his family. It is modeled on the traditional Jewish shiviti, a meditative artwork inspired by words from Psalms 16:8: “I have always placed the Eternal before me,” intended to inspire an appropriate frame of mind for prayer and contemplation. The shiviti traditionally incorporates a seven-branched menorah, words drawn from Jewish texts, kabbalah, and other mystical sources; this one also features cut-up comic books.

“Deep Space Shiviti” is a contemporary and personal interpretation of this traditional form, built around a vision from the fourth chapter of the book of Zechariah, which describes a lampstand of gold, feeding into and being fed by two olive trees, one on either side. It is a vision of replenishment and renewal, of resilience and rededication. Surrounded on both sides by the twelve gems of Aaron’s priestly breastplate (an allusion to Rabbi Kipnes’ Hebrew name), the menorah stands in front of the Kotel in Jerusalem, reinvented as a place where everyone stands together for inspiration and connection.

The words and imagery in “Deep Space Shiviti” are drawn from comic books — two kinds in particular: Star Trek comics and comics featuring Jewish super heroes. The name “Deep Space Shiviti” is itself a reference to Rabbi Kipnes’ guest appearance on an episode of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.”

There are allusions to Rabbi Kipnes’ family and community; to places close to his heart; to his roles as husband, father, rabbi... and as a man true to himself. The papercut contains camp cabins, maps of wondrous places, and images of light and inspiration.

There is the Bat Signal, another lighted symbol of hope; Yggdrasill, the “world tree” whose roots and branches support and connect the fabled Nine Realms; and Deep Space Nine, a home to a diverse group of people with different backgrounds who are united in a common cause (and also of special meaning to Rabbi Kipnes). The papercut also features multiple Jewish super heroes, including Kitty Pryde and Benjamin “The Thing” Grimm — the former with her “Hold Fast” tattoo and the latter holding his Star of David necklace; Black Canary, whose commitment to heroism is matched by her commitment to handing down her super heroic beliefs and practices to the next generation; and Spider-Man, who reminds us that with great power must also come great responsibility.

The papercut includes:
All-New X-Men #13 (Aug 2013)
Astonishing X-Men #36 (Apr 2011)
Batwoman #3 (Jan 2012), #16 (Mar 2013)
Booster Gold #19 (Jun 2009)
The Life of Captain Marvel #1 (Oct 2018)
Dazzler #38 (Jul 1985) – “Light”, #1 (Aug 2018)
Excalibur #66 (Jun 1993)
Fantastic Four #56 (Aug 2002)
The Legion of Super-Heroes #503 (Sep 1983)
Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes #352 (Oct 1987)
Lumberjanes: A Bird’s Eye View (Dec 2017
Marauders #2 (Jan 2020)
Noble Causes: Distant Relatives #2 (Sep 2003)
The Ray #1 (May 1994)
Scarlet #8 (May 2016)
Star Trek Movie Special: Star Trek III (1984)
Star Trek: The Next Generation #24 (Oct 1991)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #1 (Aug 1993)
Star Trek: Year Five #1 (Apr 2019)

All Hands on Deck: Fingerprint Mosaics at Camp Newman

You may have already read the whole story – how this summer at URJ Camp Newman my wife (Rabbi Shawna B2) and I led campers in the creation of new tallitot (prayer shawls) for the camp, one session at a time.

Each tallit is a fingerprint mosaic, where each camper had a chance to add their personal mark. The idea was that fingerprints are personal, but combined together they create a mosaic-like pattern, creating a communal work rather than an individual one — and that it would take the fingerprints of the whole eidah (session) to create a finished work. (And a big thank-you to Rabbi Laura Novak Winer, who worked with us on all of these talliot!)

If you haven't read that post, please go check it out on the camp blog: https://campnewman.org/2018/07/06/all-hands-on-deck-fingerprint-mosaics-at-camp-newman/. But here's something the post  doesn't have: pictures of all of the finished tallitot, which we're pleased to share here.

Avodah is dedicated to community involvement and social justice,
so their tallit is a rainbow flag they took to the 2018 Pride Festival

Tzofim's tallit is a Jerusalem skyline, complete with turrets and archways.

Rishonim is out "nature" session, so they made a tree – with a branch for each of their twelve "tribes."

Bogrim made the seven species: grapes, dates, wheat, barley, figs, olives, and pomegranates.

The CITs are celebrating "C-CHAI-T" this year so their handprints surround a chai, with advisors' hands blessing them from the sides. (This shot is the ALMOST-done tallit; we were waiting for two late arrivals to complete it.)

Hagigah's tallit is an abstract representation of waves,
in honor of Camp Newman's first summer "by the bay."

Faculty and staff made a tallit as well – "Miriam's Well," with a quote from Amos 5:24:
"Let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."

And if you want more information on what we can do with your community, check us out on the web at www.PaperMidrash.com.

You Only Think That

My head is in the West, but my heart is in the East. And my heart aches.

This is "You Only Think That," a 2014 papercut portrait of the Old City of Jerusalem made of cut-up war comics — a mixture of sun-drenched golden walls and darker passageways and shadows. The presence of helicopters and jeeps and part of an ad for war-themed toys undermines the city’s dream of peace. The city's golden walls are dark with the stain of war.

I dream of peace for Jerusalem, and Israel, and all of the world. I dream of peace for all that seek it. And the news from Jerusalem today pains me.

The title is taken from a speech bubble at the top of the papercut – it's one of the things that maddens and saddens me: that from over here in the West I can't truly know what's going on, and I can't truly contribute to making Israel what I want it to be.


I dream of peace, and my heart aches.

____________________

You Only Think That
18" x 24"
Mixed media
2014

Thank you for a great 2015

Whew! It's been a great year, and I am so pleased to have shared it with you!

Workshops up and down the West Coast (including Congregation Kol Ami, Temple Beth Hillel, and  Temple Ahavat Shalom), the new windows at Maimonides Jewish Day School in Portland, my annual residency at URJ Camp Newman, commissions galore, an enormous ketubah featuring Adam Strange and Emma Frost, winning a juror's award in "Heroes & Villains" at the Smithsonian-affiliated Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center, the opening of my latest show "Women of Valor and Other Super Heroes" at National Council of Jewish Women/Los Angeles, participating in the Jerusalem Biennale, presenting "To Boldly Go" to William Shatner... and so much more! Too much to put in one graphic, in fact!

To paraphrase "Hamilton" – I'll see you on the other side of the year...

2015 Jerusalem Biennale

I've finally received a copy of the catalog for the 2015 Jerusalem Biennale, and I'm so happy to be able to share a few photos out here. The biennale is over, but the sharing never stops!

The Jerusalem Biennale is dedicated to exploring the places in which Contemporary Art and the Jewish World of Content meet. It is a stage for professional artists who create today and refer in their work to Jewish thought spirit tradition or experience to exhibit their work in Jerusalem. In 2015 it included 13 exhibitions in 10 venues, including exhibitions from New York, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Barcelona and (of course) Jerusalem.

I was honored to be included in the "7,567 mi" exhibition put together by the Jewish Artists Initiative and curated by Anne Hromadka and Georgia Freedman-Harvey. The Jewish Artists Initiative (JAI) is an artist-run organization committed to fostering visual art by Jewish artists and promoting dialogue about Jewish identity and related issues among members of the arts community.

The catalog is, of course, bilingual.

List of JAI members in the "7,567 mi" exhibition.

Exhibition statement from the curators.

"7,567 mi" explored the physical, spiritual and cultural connections between Jerusalem and Los Angeles-based members of the JAI. Despite the 7,567 miles that separate our cities, we share a great deal in common.

My two papercuts, in the biennale catalog.

Two of the six papercuts in my "Paper Mishnah" series were included in the exhibition, and flown to Jerusalem to be shown in the Emek Refaim venue of the biennale: "Seeds" and "Women."

It is such a thrill to have my works listed in Hebrew as well as English!
(Even though I include a gimmel in my last name and they went with a more traditional Swedish pronounciation.)

It was truly a pleasure to be a part of this exhibition, alongside my JAI colleagues.

My two pieces, in situ at the Emek Refaim site.

Walking Together: The Lutz-Goldin Ketubah

The complete, finished ketubah (36" x 36")

This weekend my wife and I attended the wedding of Adam Lutz and Emma Goldin — friends of ours whose ketubah I created — at Temple Emanu-el in San Francisco, officiated by the groom's father, Rabbi Barry Lutz. It's always a privilege and a pleasure to be involved in a simcha, especially for such a cute couple!

I titled their ketubah "Walking Together," and it tells the story of their courtship, incorporating cut-up comics, maps, and other ephemera to reflect their unique story and the love they have for each other. Adam and Emma wrote the text of the ketubah, which is surrounded by the words of Hosea 2:21–22 (of special significance to the couple).

Signing the ketubah

Adam and Emma fell in love in Israel during their first year as students at Hebrew Union College, so their ketubah takes the form of a map of Jerusalem, where they were living at the time. Their dates were walks through the city, particularly before Shabbat, going from Emma’s apartment near Damascus Gate to Machane Yehuda — and the structure of the piece mirrors these special moments, encouraging the eye to travel along the paper paths and take in the scenery.

After cutting the top layer I was almost tempted to stop and call it perfect already...

There are pieces of a 1996 National Geographic map of Jerusalem showing the western side of the city and the paths that lead to Hebrew Union College, and a comic book snippet of golden apples alluding to the food stalls at Machane Yehuda (an appreciation for fine food being a shared trait of the bride and groom as well).

Adam and Emma continued walking after they moved to New York, and their ketubah includes part of an antique map of the island as well as comic pieces showing elements of the familiar skyline. As their wedding was celebrated at Temple Emanu-El, in addition to the Golden Gate Bridge and other architectural elements from the city there is also part of a vintage De Beers Diamonds advertisement from 1945 featuring the synagogue.

The speech bubbles are from an X-Men comic; the image of Temple Emanu-El from a vintage De Beers ad.

Adam’s name is represented by Adam Strange, a DC hero known for being a passionate and faithful husband, and Emma’s by Emma Frost, a Marvel hero who is also a passionate and loving partner. Emma says that if Adam had super powers he would be most like Professor X of the X-Men, because of his intelligence, and so he is also included in the ketubah — and so is Mister Terrific, known as one of the smartest heroes in the world.

Professor X is a stand-in for Adam, passionately calling out to his bride.

Emma calls to her love just as passionately.

Adam says that Emma’s beautiful voice might have its parallel in the powers of Black Canary, Dazzler and Siryn, who use their voices to fight for right. Adam’s Hebrew name, Ze’ev, is alluded to by the presence of a hero named Jack Russell who takes the form of a werewolf (and was raised in the greater Los Angeles area), while Emma’s Hebrew name, Devorah, is alluded to in the black-and-yellow honeybee-like costume of Siryn. There’s even a panel in which Adam Strange meets Black Canary, from a 1975 issue of Justice League of America in which Adam (finally) gets married.

I bought a 1975 issue of Justice League of America because it featured Adam's wedding,
but it also had this surprisingly perfect panel I decided to incorporate.

There are numerous wedding details in the ketubah, including rings and declarations of love, and white roses as well, which Emma will carry on her wedding day. The observant viewer will also find references to the glass they broke under the hupah, and the wine that they shared there. And of course, a few pieces of their wedding invitation.

The background comics include:

• Action Comics #233 (November 2013)
• Adam Strange #1 (November 2004), #2 (December 2004)
• Astonishing X-Men #10 (May 2005), #14 (June 2006), #27 (November 2008), #36 (April 2011), #51 (August 2012) – rings and white roses, #62 (July 2013)
• Batman: The Dark Knight #4 (February 2012)
• Birds of Prey #16 (March 2013)
• Captain Atom #3 (January 2012)
• Daredevil #1 (May 2014) – New York skyline
• Dazzler #2 (April 1981)
• Dream Logic #4 (October 2011)
• Giant-Size Kung Fu Bible Stories #1 (July 2014)
• Giant-Size X-Men #3 (2005)
• Green Arrow #30 (April 2010) – Sing, Canary, Sing!
• Infinite Vacation #5 (January 2013)
• Justice League #33 (October 2014), #34 (December 2014)
• Justice League of America #121 (August 1975) – Adam’s wedding
• Max Ride #4 (June 2015)
• Mister Terrific #2 (December 2011) – Golden Gate Bridge
• ODY-C #1 (November 2014)
• Revival #16 (December 2013)
• Strange Adventures #1 (May 2009), #2 (June 2009)
• Superman #226 (April 2006), #23.3 (November 2013)
• Wolverine: Xisle #1 (June 2003)
• X-Factor #244 (November 2012)
• X-Force #16 (November 1992) – Siryn

Heroes & Villains: Exploring Archetypes Through Art

I'm pleased to announce that three of my papercuts have been accepted into an upcoming show called "Heroes & Villains: Exploring Archetypes Through Art" at the Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, a museum in Maryland affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. I'm packing up "The Thicket," Jacob and Esav," and "Masters of Mysticism" for a little cross-country trip!

Left to right: The Thicket, Jacob and Esav, Masters of Mysticism

The opening reception will be Friday, June 19, from 6 to 9 pm, and the show is open through August 23.

For more information about the show, you can visit the website here.

East, at Camp Newman (Wait, what?)

Yeah, that's right: east. Because the first papercutting project I completed with the Hagigah campers this summer at URJ Camp Newman was a mizrach, an ornamental wall plaque used to indicate the direction of prayer (east) in Jewish homes. We brainstormed as a group to get some ideas going, but each student designed their own mizrach, and then backed it with comics.

And since the big Peachy Levy Festival is tonight, when the campers' work will be unveiled, I figure it's fairly safe to post images here. And coming up soon, photos of the campers "paper midrash" projects!

Sunrises and skylines were recurring themes, but each camper found a unique way to present them.

Some of the pieces showed a reliance on abstract forms, while others were more representational.

And since every camper picked their own way to express the concept of "mizrach"
there were some out-of-the-box ideas, like this dove which is made of the letters
"shalom" – peace, in Hebrew.

Campers were given guidance on how white space can help create an emotional component.

Translating ideas into the papercut medium was a new experience for many of the campers.

Defining larger spaces (such as these clouds) by breaking them into smaller parts
allowed for some creative collage in the backgrounds.

Sometimes the artist creates a piece with one meaning, but others see it differently.
For instance, I see the Hagigah "train" in the rays of this rising sun.

Campers incorporated English or Hebrew or both (or none) in their works.

The simplicity of these Hebrew letterforms gives them strength and directness.

Fewer compass roses this summer, but there were some.

I love the exclamation point here – you can hear how loud this piece is.

The contrast between the large sun and the small village is striking.

An unfinished but promising piece featuring script Hebrew and English side-by-side.

A first papercut reveals a camper's natural facility for creating stained-glass like elements.

The phases of the moon atop the rising sun, surround sofer-style Hebrew letters.

Another skyline, this one leveraging some advertisement elements from the comics.

Size and distance and white space can create a dramatic narrative out of simple shapes and colors.