Arella Whirls – Commission at Sinai

"Arella Whirls" is a papercut commission made for Stephanie Swedlove to mark her conversion to Judaism, the culmination of a ten-year journey.

Torah and Talmud tell us that all Jews were at Sinai at Revelation, to accept the Torah and the covenant with God. All Jewish souls, into the future, today and tomorrow, by birth and by choice, and so on (Talmud Shevuot 39a and Shemot Rabbah 28:6). This papercut is built around Stephanie’s presence at Sinai, even as she now takes the final steps in the conversion process. Judaism also teaches us that all humanity deserves respect and justice, reinforced for us when we were slaves in Egypt, a story which we retell every year at Passover (and continually throughout our lives). This is connected to Stephanie’s drive for justice, trust, and community. This half of her story is represented with our people’s redemption, shown in the parting of the Sea of Reeds, with a path leading to Sinai.

The foundation is made of the purple costume worn by super hero Stephanie Brown, known as Spoiler – it’s where the journey starts. Up through the parted waters, which feature Arrowverse heroes (such as Felicity from Arrow, representing Stephanie’s analytic mind). “Tomorrow” references the teaching that all Jewish souls, past and present, are “right here.” Beyond/above the waves are verses from Devarim/Deuteronomy 29: 9-14, in which we read about all the people and future generations standing at Sinai in acceptance of the covenant.

In front of Mount Sinai we have the Teen Titans, with the voice of the Divine echoing around them. The lightning of God’s voice (based on a Hebrew pun in Shemot/Exodus 20:15) is made of another hero from the Arrowverse, the Flash, and in the clouds that swirl around the mountain like the smoke from a kiln (Shemot/Exodus 19:18) comic captions read “Arella Whirls” and “Arella Turns,” reflecting the joyous dancing of the Israelites after the crossing of the Sea and in acceptance of the Torah. And of course, Arella is Stephanie’s chosen Hebrew name – reflected as well in the shape of Mt. Sinai, an abstract aleph.

Comics in the papercut include:

• Batgirl Annual #3 (January 2015)
• Batman: Huntress/Spoiler #1 (May 1998)
• Blackest Night: The Flash #1 (February 2010)
• Gotham Underground #2 (January 2008)
• Justice League of America #46 (August 2010)
• Shazam: Power of Hope (November 2000)
• The New Teen Titans #2 (October 1984), #4 (January 1985)
• Teen Titans #6 (May 2017)

On Being the URJ Biennial Artist-in-Residence

What an incredible experience. Five thousand Reform Jews from around the world (mostly from North America) gathering together in San Diego for the 2013 URJ Biennial, where I was the artist-in-residence.

Getting started in my mobile studio.

I had three things to get done: the first was to create an original artwork inspired by Biennial, created entirely at Biennial in the kikar (the “public square”). The second was to share my process with anyone and everyone who came by my mobile studio, and the third was to lead a workshop in papercutting and help people make their own art.

The first piece cut.

I’d never had to work in public in this way before – and it was certainly a challenge. It’s one thing to be working in the safety of my studio, where I can make decisions (and mistakes) on my own and not worry about how messy the process can be. To be exposed like I was, with people watching me sketch and cut and search and paste... it was unnerving at times, but energizing at others. The hardest part might have been finding enough time to keep working on the papercut while talking to so many people who wanted to hear about my process.

Left, the mountain begins to take shape. Right: one of the first background pieces.

As for the workshop: three dozen people joined me to express ourselves through the cutting of paper. Margaret and Lou and Shoshana and Joe and Robin and Wilma and Heidi... so many wonderful budding artists. It was both exhausting and invigorating. We had four hours together, and I am so proud of the work everyone made.

Photo from the URJ

Photo from the URJ

And somehow it happened: although Wednesday morning I had only a large blank sheet of cold-press watercolor stock, by Saturday night I had completed “Gathering.”



Wednesday I studied and sketched, Thursday I cut paper to create the top layer, Friday I disassembled and then reassembled pieces from comic books and maps and other ephemera to create the background, and Saturday after my workshop I put the last pieces together.

The idea inspiring the piece is simple, really – I came to see the Biennial as a “Sinai moment,” all of us gathered together to worship and receive Torah and study and learn.



As with all of my work, words from Torah informed the piece. In Exodus 19:18 we read, “Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for Adonai descended upon it in fire, and the smoke rose like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently.” That’s the way I like to think of Revelation – as a kiln. The smoke of God’s presence surrounding the top of the mountain reminds us that we are not just gathering, but creating. We came together to discuss strengthening our movement and building a vibrant and relevant Jewish future.



The mountain itself is built out of the honeycomb iconography of the Biennial, with the riot of colors and textures underneath reflecting the content of the sessions, the sanctity of our prayers, and the specific geography of Biennial. The space surrounding the mountain is made of cut-up books and ephemera, including a dictionary and an encyclopedia, with references to Sinai, San Diego, Torah, music, prayer and the Reform movement.

The completed papercut: "Gathering"

I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to serve as Biennial artist-in-residence; it was a pleasure and a privilege to study and teach and learn and create with this community.

“Gathering” includes these comics (and more) in the background:

• Action Comics #25 (Jan 2014)
• Animal Man #2 (Dec 2001)
• Batman: The Black Glove (2008)
• Captain Atom #3 (Jan 2012)
• The Flash: Rebirth #1 (June 2009)
• Green Arrow #22 (May 2003)
• Green Arrow and Black Canary #8 (Jul 2008)
• Green Lantern: Fear Itself #1 (2011)
• Infinite Vacation #5 (Jan 2013)
• Invincible Iron Man #25 (Aug 2010)
• Justice League #1 (Oct 2011)
• Metamorpho and Aquaman #1 (Oct 2007)
• Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #25 (Feb 2007)
• Testament #3 (Apr 2006)
• Wonder Woman #10 (Aug 2007)

“Gathering” also includes pieces of the following:

• The Future of Judaism in America, by Eugene Kohn. (The Liberal Press, New York, 1934.)
• Union Hymnal, Third Edition. The Central Conference of American Rabbis, New York, 1958).
• Pathways Through the Bible, by Mortimer J. Cohen. (The Jewish Publication Society of America, New York, 1966).

The final work will hang in the URJ’s New York offices, and for a limited time we are making archival giclée prints available to anyone interested in having a reminder of Biennial for themselves. The prints measure 16” x 20” and will be mailed in an artwork tube; the price is $120.00 (including domestic shipping), and the proceeds are being split with the Union for Reform Judaism. To order, please visit my online store.

Gathering

I'll have a blog post in the next few days about my experience as artist-in-residence for the URJ 2013 Biennial – in the meantime, here's a photo of the piece I created while at Biennial, titled "Gathering." Details on this to come soon as well, but here's the bullet: inspired by Biennial, created entirely at Biennial in my mobile studio, it represents the "Sinai moment" we 5000 Reform Jews participated in at Biennial.

The original will reside in the URJ offices in New York, but you can purchase a limited edition archival giclée print here.

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.

"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

Cutting up comics: a studio video

Shot with my GoPro — one hour of footage, which I edited down to this 2.5 minute video.

It features Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance" as the soundtrack (the music to which all knife-related activities should be set).

On the table? A new papercut titled "Follow Me," which will premiere at my upcoming show at the Osher Marin JCC. Please join me at the opening reception on September 9, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the JCC. There will be free food, and local comics shop Blue Moon Comics will be bringing Jewish-created comics and graphic novels for your perusal and pleasure.

Seven to Seventy

Completed a new piece tentatively titled "Seven to Seventy" (click the pix to see it larger). It's a revelation piece, with a lot of midrash in it. Look for seven bolts of lightning, Captain Marvel, pieces from a chumash index, watercolor, and more. Here are some close-up shots (click make them larger):

I expect this will be in my September show in Northern California -- details will be posted here once I get them settled.

"You did WHAT ... ?!?" featured on Proxart Blog

There's a good feature on my work and the show at Brave New World Comics on the Proxart blog today -- enjoy!

See what's on exhibit at The Finegood Gallery

Right now I'm showing four pieces in a group show at The Finegood Gallery of the West Valley Jewish Community Center (West Hills, California) -- click the image above to see a larger version (but go see the show, open through October 17, to see them as they were intended to be enjoyed):

The Finegood Gallery
WVJCC
22622 Vanowen Street
West Hills, California
818 464 3218

And All the People Saw the Voices(Paper Midrash)

This is a piece I've titled, "And All the People Saw the Voices," after the verse in Exodus 20:18 concerning the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The Hebrew word for "voices" is also the word for "lightning" -- hence the symbolism here, also representing the thunder and lightning surrounding Mount Sinai. The rabbis teach that God's voice split into seven voices, which split into seventy languages -- allowing all people across the world to understand.

It's another in my series of comic book papercuts. See this -- and more! -- at "Paper Midrash," at the Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County from January 24 through February 27, 2010. The opening reception will be from 2 to 5 p.m. on January 24.

Luachot haBrit(Paper Midrash)

Another in my series of comic book papercuts, titled "Luachot haBrit" (Tablets of the Covenant). Yes, I've got the first ten letters of the Hebrew alphabet in there, for those of you who wish to look; the aleph is pretty easy, but the rest get more and more hidden.

See this -- and more! -- at "Paper Midrash," at the Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County from January 24 through February 27, 2010. The opening reception will be from 2 to 5 p.m. on January 24.

Paper MidrashSave the date: January 24, 2010