You May Kiss the Groom – Both of You!

Mazal tov to Meir Bargeron and Jon Tam! I am so pleased to share with you the Bargeron-Tam ketubah, which I created for them — and they just signed it and got married this past weekend!

According to Kabbalah the four days between Yom Kippur and Sukkot are especially holy days, and excellent for a wedding — and Jon and Meir got married during that auspicious time. For that reason, their ketubah is a hupah and a sukkah. The sukkah has many parallels with the hupah, after all: both represent dwellings, and are places of peace and comfort. We invite guests to join us for both, and we celebrate with food and drink. The top of the ketubah is the sukkah’s lattice roof, filled with texts about marriage taken from comic books and the ketubah text.

The lattice incorporates texts from comic books and from traditional texts referenced in the ketubah text – here, from the book of Bereshit (Genesis).

Overflowing with promises!

Here's where the ketubah gets its name from – text from X-Men #51 (August 2012). Also, text from the book of Hosea, referenced in the ketubah text.

Grapes and pomegranates climb alongside the English text: symbols of joy and family, and a reference to the wine Meir and Jon share under the hupah.

The section in between the English and Hebrew texts is made of tea leaves, specifically those used to make dong ding oolong tea, which the couple had in a tea ceremony prior to entering into the hupah. Blazing beside the Hebrew is a havdalah candle with two wicks joining into one flame; this represents the Havdalah service Jon and Meir included as part of their wedding, and the colors are those of the silk hupah under which they make their vows. The candle is also a reference to these words from the Baal Shem Tov:

From every human being there rises a light that reaches straight to heaven, and when two souls that are destined to be together find each other, the streams of light flow together and a single brighter light goes forth from that united being.

The ketubah is made of cut-up comic books, in particular wedding-themed issues — and many pieces are from mainstream superhero comics’ first same-sex wedding, in Astonishing X-Men #51. Comics in the ketubah include:

• Astonishing X-Men #51 (August 2012) — wedding of Jean-Paul Beaubier (Northstar) and Kyle Jinadu
• The Justice League of America #121 (August 1975) — wedding of Adam and Alanna Strange
• The Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #2 (1983) — wedding of Val Armorr (Karate Kid) and Princess Projectra
• Superman: The Wedding Album #1 (December 1996) — wedding of Clark Kent (Superman) and Lois Lane
• Ultimate Comics X-Men #22 (April 2013)
• The Wedding of Deadpool #1 (March 2016)
• X-Men Legacy #255 (November 2011)

Super Heroes, Holy Land: "Tree of Knowledge" (for Tu B'shevat)

This is "Tree of Knowledge," one of the new papercuts premiering in my new show, "Super Heroes, Holy Land" — opening tomorrow night at UCLA Hillel's Dortort Gallery in Westwood.

It seemed an appropriate papercut to share on Tu B'Shevat, the "new year of the trees." It's inspired by a vision of Israel in its early years being planted with trees funded by Jews around the world. This tree is a representation of this bustling growth of the state, backed by cut-up dictionaries and representations of books and libraries from comics.

Opening Night Details
Thursday, January 16, from 7 to 9 at the Dortort Gallery: 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. And if you want to see what else is in the show, please check out the online PDF catalog.

Doctrine of Law

This is "Doctrine of Law," a papercut I made for the silent auction at Temple Ahavat Shalom's gala this year. The gala and auction are being held this Sunday, June 2, and support temple activities throughout the year. If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, or if you want more information about the auction, click here. A full list of auction items is available as a PDF.

"Doctrine of Law" is an exploration of the role of Torah – the "tree of life" – in our lives, in the past and present. I see Torah as a living document, one that must be read and reread and continuously interpreted and understood for each generation; the tree will always be an appropriate metaphor for Torah. It's backed with cut-up comics and a snippet from Ye That Thirst by David Hausdorff, published by Shulsinger Brothers in Brooklyn in 1940; that snippet is how this cut got its name.

Little Green

"Little Green" is a papercut I created for the annual gala (this Saturday, June 1) at Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, which supports their day school, early childhood center, and religious school. I've been friends with their cantor, Yonah Kliger, since junior high – and when he asked for a piece to support their gala, I was glad to make something special for him.

"Little Green" is an exploration of the story of the Burning Bush, which the Torah tells us burns but was not consumed – represented here by the swatch of living green at the center of the bush. The sharp, jagged flames are a reflection of the clear, sharp voice of God speaking to Moses from the bush, and the light it casts is so bright as to make the sky appear dark as night.

It measures 6" x 8" but is in a fancy frame I selected for it that takes it to 17" x 22".

"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.

Incredible Little Tree: "...knowledge and danger can grow from the same soil."

Incredible Little Tree

12" x 16"

Mixed media

2012

This papercut highlights the tug between two extremes: the desire to know, and the desire to live. In the Garden of Eden our ancestors were told to eat freely of the tree of life, but not to touch the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This tree, backed with cut-up Hulk comics, explores the idea that knowledge and danger can grow from the same soil.

To make this piece I cut up a bunch of comics, including:

• The Incredible Hulk #2 – July 1962 (reprint), 240 – Oct 1979,
  280 – Feb 1983, 295 – May 1984, 296 – Jun 1984, 448 – Dec 1996
• Incredible Hulk #78 – Apr 2005
• Giant-size Incredible Hulk #1 – Jul 2008
• Hulk #4 – Aug 2008
• Ultimate Hulk Annual #1 – Dec 2008 

Now showing at the Peninsula JCC in Foster City, California – it's one of my many new works in the show, which will be open from January 4 through March 19, 2013.

Mazal tov!

Here's the happy couple signing their ketubah — mazal tov to Michael and Michael!

"Ahavat Olam" in online auction to support Temple Ahavat Shalom

I've donated a signed, framed giclée print of my "Ahavat Olam" papercut to support the 2012 Temple Ahavat Shalom Gala auction. It's a 16x20 giclée print, and you can bid for it online right now; just follow this link.

"Ahavat Olam" is from my Paper Tefillah series, which features 16 papercuts that represent the major prayers of contemporary Jewish worship. It's a prayer about God's gift of Torah to the Jewish people, and I've represented it as the Etz Chaim (Tree of Life). The leaves and branches are Hebrew letters and the background is made up entirely of cut-up Superman comics and pieces from prayerbooks and a chumash that had been destined for ritual burial in the genizah.

More details -- and ONLINE BIDDING -- here. Bidding will continue at the gala at Temple Ahavat Shalom on Sunday, June 24 -- gala details here.

Latz-Simon Ketubah: Mt. Rainier, Victoria Falls, and Metzada

 

This week I finished my latest papercut ketubah, and I've just heard that the couple received it... so now I can share some pictures here on my blog!

As with all of my ketubot, I spent some time talking with the couple to get a sense of who they are and how to represent them at this time in their life together. They told me about their love of travel and their love of Israel, about where they've been and where they're going.

The entire ketubah is sheltered with a stylized hupah of the Seven Species, and under the text are three "heights" that represent their lives: Mt. Rainier (lower left), Victoria Falls in Rhodesia (lower right), and Metzada (directly under the text) -- you can see close-ups of the landscape images below. The backgrounds are composed of handmade textured papers, maps, some old science and nature books, and -- of course -- some comic books.

And what a great coincidence that this ketubah -- for two fine Jewish gentlemen -- should be completed the same week that President Barack Obama declared his support of marriage equality!

As always, click on any of the pix (above or below) to see them larger.

"Nisan Tree" -- Just in Time for Spring

This is my newest papercut, "Nisan Tree." It's almost spring -- and almost the Jewish month of Nisan -- and the papercut is inspired by some lines from the Talmud:

Rabbi Judah said, When a man goes out to the country in the month of Nisan [that is, in springtime] and see trees bring forth blossoms, he is to say, "Blessed be God, whose world lacks nothing, having created in it comely creatures and beautiful trees, so that human beings may enjoy them."

The tree is backed with cut-up comics to bring in the vibrant colors and textures of spring -- with characters including Green Lantern and She-Hulk, and artists including Alex Ross and Joe Kubert.

PRINTS AVAILABLE IN SUPPORT OF TWO GOOD CAUSES

If you want to get your hands on a print of this new papercut, there's only two ways to do so, because I'm only making two prints right now (though I may make more in the future):

1. At the silent auction benefiting Jewish World Watch on Sunday, April 10, at Warner Center Park in Woodland Hills. I'm going to be in the "2011 Walk to End Genocide" as part of the Temple Ahavat Shalom team, raising money to fight genocide around the world. Details here.

2. At the Temple Ahavat Shalom Annual Gala silent auction on Saturday, June 4, at TAS. Details forthcoming on the TAS website -- and I'll post a reminder here in advance of the event.

Click the image to see it larger, or check out this earlier blog post to see what it looked like when it was still just a sketch.

How a pencil sketch becomes a papercut

On the left, a little sketch from my sketchbook (after days and pages of drawing); on the right, the final cut. As you can see, often my sketches are just rough ideas toward the final form of a papercut. Then again, sometimes they're full-size, and very detailed.

From the cutting table: leaves

Just a little something I cut the other day... some leaves. I'm working on a new tree right now, but this isn't going to be it.

Sketchbook leaves

Happy Tu B'shevat! This is from my sketchbook; I'm currently at work on the first design in a series based on the Twelve Tribes.