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)

Thirteen Windows in Portland

This past Sunday afternoon, as part of my weekend in the Pacific Northwest, I visited Portland, Oregon, to see the Maimonides Jewish Day School, which had commissioned me to create designs for the 13 windows of their new building entryway.

The windows represent the major holidays of the Jewish year as well as daily and weekly observances. The designs are printed on film and mounted between glass, so that they can be seen from both sides, and so the sun can illuminate them and bring vibrancy and joy to the entrance – which is what you want in a kids' school, if you ask me. (And they did!)

Unexpectedly, the late in the day the sun shines from the front of the building, and creates a special surprise inside the building...

Gorgeous interplays of light and shadows from the windows, which move around the building throughout the day and create unexpected bursts of color.

And even the shadows cast inside the window frames themselves are wonderful.

I can't wait to see the inset lights installed so that even at night the windows will be filled with color. If all goes well, I'll have the chance in March to see exactly that!

(If you're interested in the rest of my adventures in the Pacific Northwest, read about them here!)

Tonight: opening reception for "Super Heroes, Holy Land"

This is "The Menorah," one of the papercuts in my all-new show, "Super Heroes, Holy Land" – opening tonight at the Dortort Gallery at UCLA Hillel in Los Angeles. The reception is free and open to the public, and goes from 7 to 9 p.m. The show is open through March 14.

The Knesset Menorah, upon which this papercut is based, is itself a history text, with scenes carved into detailing the history of the Jewish people. In “The Menorah,” cut-up scenes and speech bubbles from Daredevil comics stand in lieu of these stories; the story of this blind super hero who faces continual trials and challenges serves as a parallel to the high and low points of our people’s narrative. It includes:

Automatic Kafka #1 (Sep 2002), #3 (Nov 2002), #4 (Dec 2002)
Daredevil [vol 1] #107 (Jul 2008)
Daredevil [vol 2] #56 (Mar 2004)
Daredevil [vol 3] #14 (Aug 2012), #15 (Sep 2012), #16 (Oct 2012), #27 (Aug 2013)
Powerless #3 (2005)
Secret #1 (May 2012)
Testament #9 (Oct 2006), #11 (Dec 2006) 

Jews, God and History. Max Dimont. The New American Library, New York (1964). 

I've posted a PDF catalog of all the work in the show – so please click the link and take a look.

Reception details
Dortort Gallery, UCLA Hillel
574 Hilgard Avenue  •  Los Angeles, CA 90024

Parking is available across the street at on-campus meters; call 310-208-3081 for more information.