The Sherlock LP

“The Sherlock LP” is a mixed media papercut I was commissioned to create for Steve Sherlock by his wife Dana on the occasion of their tenth wedding anniversary (and Steve’s birthday).

Steve is the drummer for Nerf Herder, one of the best bands of all time and a band that Shawna and I have seen SO MANY times in concert I can't count. Their music is sort of post-punk geek rock, and if you don't know their sound you should check them out now. Go ahead; I'll wait here. To be asked to create a piece for him was an honor and a privilege, and I'm so pleased to share it with you.

The papercut is a representation of all the things that Steve likes and that make him who he is… seen through the lens of the Sherlocks’ “long play” marriage. It takes the form of a record on a turntable (the actual size of the record here is 12 inches square, for authenticity), and it’s made of cut-up comic books and other ephemera to tell the story of Steve and Dana.

There’s a lot in here, including: their names (and Steve’s “Nerf Herder” nickname: the Cougar); their wedding date (February 2007); their shared musical interests (including quite a bit from Tom Waits, such as “Take It With Me,” which includes the lines “Always for you, and forever yours”), as well as some bands Steve likes; Steve’s interest in mid-century modern design; Star Trek (particularly Mr. Spock) and Star Wars (“I love you” — “I know”)... and even a little girl in a Devo shirt to represent their daughter. There’s a lot. The back of the piece includes a (mostly) complete listing of the comics that were cut up to make this piece, which include a comic from February 2007, characters with the name “Steve” (like Captain America) or music-related powers (like Dazzler), the liner notes from Devo’s 1980 “Freedom of Choice” LP, and: Ghostbusters, Star Wars, Star Trek, The Superman Family, The Walking Dead...

I was waiting to share this post, and then got distracted by the twelve tribes show, but the official Instagram post this weekend reminded me that it's time.

My Story Happens in Music – A commission for a cantor

Last night I got to celebrate my buddy Yonah's 45th birthday, and make a special presentation on behalf of his wife Sydnie. Yonah and I have been friends since junior high, so when Sydnie commissioned me earlier this year to make a new papercut to mark his birthday, I was pleased and honored to accept.

This papercut is called “My Story Happens in Music”and it measures 24" x 18". Yonah lives his life at the center of his family and community, and has literally done so at Dodger Stadium when singing the National Anthem — and so this papercut’s structure is based on Dodger Stadium, and includes elements from Yonah’s life, all taken from comic books. He is a cantor and singer and a father and a husband and a friend... and I tried to represent all of this in the papercut.

The title comes from a bit of text taken from a Daredevil story; as well, the papercut features cheering crowds and engaged congregations; it includes the characters Black Bolt (known for having the most powerful voice in the universe), Dazzler (who transforms music into powerful beams of light), and Ragman (one of the first openly Jewish super heroes). Obvious and subtle references abound, alluding to music and spirituality, family and community, humor and joy. There’s a dove, in reference to the Hebrew meaning of “Yonah”; soccer, a sport close to Yonah’s heart, which he shares with his children... and more than a few inside jokes between Yonah and the artist, whose friendship dates back to junior high school.

And of course, multiple references to the home and family that Yonah and Sydnie have made — the “4” from the Fantastic Four uniform, and a quote from the 45th anniversary issue of their comic... spoken by a certain postman... and comics from each of their birth years. The sheet music at the center is an interpretation of the book of Psalms, from A. Z. Idelsohn’s 1967 book, Jewish Music in its Historical Development. A listing of the comics used in the making of this papercut is on the back of the papercut, and includes:

• Action Comics #903 (Sep 2011)
• Astonishing X-Men #26 (Oct 2008)
• Automatic Kafka #4 (Dec 2002)
• Billy the Kid #88 (Dec 1971) — Yonah’s birth year
• Bullseye: Perfect Game #2 (Feb 2011)
• Daredevil #51 (Nov 2003)
• Dazzler #4 (Jun 1981), #38 (Jul 1985), #41 (Jan 1986)
• Fallen Angels #1 (Apr 1987)
• Fantastic Four #59 (Feb 1967), #273 (Dec 1984), #543 (Jun 2007) — 45th anniversary issue
• Green Lantern: Fear Itself #1 (Apr 2011)
• Gwenpool Special #1 (Feb 2016)
• Justice League #33 (Oct 2014)
• Justice Society of America #11 (Feb 2008)
• The Legion of Super-Heroes #300 (Jun 1983)
• Los Angeles Dodgers: The Legend of the Blue Knight #1 (Apr 1997)
• Mutopia X #3 (Nov 2005) — daughter’s birth year
• Nevada #1 (May 1998)
• Ragman #3 (Dec 1991), #5 (Feb 1992)
• The Ringo Kid #5 (Sep 1970) — Sydnie’s birth year
• Shadowpact #6 (Dec 2006)
• Stadium Comics: The All-Star Story of the Dodgers #1 (Apr 1979)
• Superman #205 (Jul 2004)
• Superman/Batman #44 (Feb 2008) — son’s birth year
• Thor #394 (Aug 1988)
• Ultimate Fantastic Four #4 (May 2004)

Teenagers + knives = magic

I love papercutting – and I love teaching others to cut paper, leading them to try something new and engage with our tradition in a manner very different from their usual methods. That's why I lead papercutting workshops throughout the year — and why I spend two weeks every summer at URJ Camp Newman doing so with high school-age campers. This summer was my TENTH YEAR at Newman, and a spectacular one.

The Hagigah program at URJ Camp Newman is the premier Jewish arts teen program on the West Coast. Campers choose majors and minors in visual and performing arts, studying with distinguished Jewish artists in an exploratory and collaborative atmosphere.

Their experience culminates in the camp-wide “Mark & Peachy Levy Hagigah Festival of the Arts” to celebrate their work – and the 2016 festival is tomorrow night, July 14. This year, with thanks to Dream Lab and generous support from The Covenant Foundation, I produced a booklet featuring all of the campers' work — to be distributed at the festival to all attendees.

This summer I had 16 campers in my papercutting workshop – two hours every day for two weeks. The campers made some wonderful art, and I'm pleased to share it with you here.

First, the "mizrach" project. Each of the 16 campers made a mizrach (מזרח means "east"). East is the direction that Jews outside of Israel traditionally face during prayer, and a mizrach is an ornamental wall plaque used to indicate the direction of prayer – and that's what the students made, after some group brainstorming about what imagery might work in such an artwork. They were allowed to interpret the idea of a mizrach however they wanted. What I find fascinating about the process is how everyone starts in the same place, with the same goal... but each piece is different, expressing something about the camper-artist who made them.

Dani

Ethan C.

Ethan R.

Hannah

Hannah S.

Jacob

Max

Mia

Noah

Phoebe

Rachel

Sam

Thea

Tristan

Yaron

The second project we do is "paper midrash" – each camper had to identify a story or character from Jewish tradition, and explore and develop it with the aid of knife and paper. Some worked with one of the camp rabbis to find fascinating little tidbits, others made up their own commentaries, and all of them created stunning work. I've included their descriptions of their work in the captions of the photos – their words about their inspiration and process.

Dani: "I wanted a piece that illustrated the forbiddenness of secular music in biblical times. The colours I used are meant to symbolise the beauty that music — religious or not — can bring to the world."

Ethan C.: "I chose the story of the burning bush because I thought that it was interesting that ‘the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed’ [Exodus 3:2]."

Ethan R.: "Judah ben Tema said, ‘Be fierce as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a gazelle, and strong as a lion to do the will of our Father in heaven’ [Mishnah Avot 5:20]."

Hannah: "I designed a mezuzah that has the Tree of Life in it. At the base is a pomegranate, which represents mitzvot. The tree then branches out with a Star of David, which represents Judaism. The mezuzah is being hung over the city of Jerusalem to remind us that Jerusalem is always our home."

Hannah S.: "My midrash is a depiction of the creation of night and day [Bereshit 1:4].
I like the idea of the sun and moon because they are everyday things we see, but don’t fully understand."

Max: "This piece is a representation of the idea that everyday is a new opportunity to improve your life. Your future is constantly changing and each day is a new chance to change who you are or what you will become. Each ray of light of the sun is a different shade and design of red, yellow, orange, or purple. This is a symbol for how each day is different. It’s up to you whether or not the day is good."

Mia: "This is my representation of Eve. She is surrounded by green to show her in the Garden. She is holding a pear instead of an apple, showing that she is good and not evil, as she is often portrayed to be. Pears represent motherhood and love. Eve stands alone in this piece because she is usually shown as simply being Adam’s partner, but this shows that she does not necessarily need a man to complete her."

Noah: "I was interested in how Judaism teaches about death and mourning. I thought it was interesting that Jews were virtually the only ancient people to forbid cremation. As Jews, we don’t let ourselves forget the dead. This is why I wrote ‘Never Forget’ and ‘zichronam livracha’ which means ‘Let Their Memory Be For a Blessing.’ We also recognize that life is ending like a flame. This is why I chose to put darkness in place of the flame, while the candle still stands like the body we refuse to cremate."

Peyton: "I chose to do my midrash on an olive branch and dove. When I was trying to figure out what I should do my piece on I read about how olive branches signify peace, and in the Noah’s Ark story — when the flood is over —a dove brings Noah an olive brach signifying peace and that the flood is over and a new life is waiting [Bereshit 8:11]. I love the story and I think peace is a great thing and I wanted to show that in my art."

Phoebe: "The Babylonia Talumd tells us, ‘When a boy was born, it was custom to plant a cedar tree; and when a girl was born, an acacia. When they wed, the tree [planted at birth] was cut down and the wedding canopy made from its branches.’ I believe this tradition is so beautiful. The idea that two separate trees are planted and then brought together is so amazing, and what love should be about: two people coming together. I decided to depict an acacia and cedar branch, both with different coloring. I put a heart in between as a symbol of love, and backed it with a comic in which two people in love were holding hands."

Sam: "As a kid, I always loved the song, ‘There’s a Dinosaur Knocking at My Door, [and He Wants to Have Shabbat with Me]’ and every time I think of that song, I get nostalgic."

Thea: "I chose the creation/separation of night and day for my midrash [Bereshit 1:4]. I chose this theme because I think the sun and moon are very pretty. By using this story, I could incorporate the sun and moon into my art."

Tristan: "I decided to create my piece on lightning, because it has always fascinated me. R. Berekhiah the Priest said: ‘Lightning is something generated by the fire from on high. Hence, when it goes forth, its light illuminates the world from end to end.’"

Yaron built an ark to house the Torah – an original design, backed with super hero comics.

I'm so proud of these campers – they created such beautiful, meaningful work. Yasher koach to all of them!

May the Fourth be with You!

Happy Star Wars Day – as a treat, I'm uploading a Zip archive of the entire "Living in These Star Wars" album from The Rebel Force Band (recorded in 1977). Download it here. It's a big file, but it's worth it. Track list:

1. Living in these Star Wars
2. Don't Fall in Love with an Android
3. Leia
4. Chewie the Rookie Wookie
5. Respirator for Darth Vader
6. Spaced Out
7. May the Force Be with You
8. The Ballad of Obi Wan (OB-1)
9. You'll Be a Warrior
10. Living in these Star Wars (Disco)

Happy Tenth Anniversary, Disney Hall!

Ten years ago I took some photos of the Walt Disney Concert Hall as it was being built — and today is its ten-year anniversary as a Los Angeles landmark. I was lucky to be working down the street during its construction and opening, and got to see it come together. If you haven't yet been inside to see a show (or just to marvel at its beautiful pipe organ), I recommend it.

Completed commission: "Psalm 150"

Here's my latest completed commission: "Psalm 150." This papercut was commissioned as a gift for a local musician who is an accomplished pianist, conductor, orchestrator, composer and vocalist. It's based on the words of Psalm 150, written by King David, and urges the praise of God through music:

Halleluyah!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
praise Him for His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with blasts of the horn;
praise Him with harp and lyre!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let all that breathes praise God. Halleluyah.

The papercut is built on the word which appears at the beginning of many of the poem’s lines: 
“הללוהו – Halleluhu – Praise Him.” Within those letters are the psalmist’s words for each of the instruments. Surrounding the letters are swirling patterns of line and shape that evoke those instruments: the curved neck of a lute, the narrow waist of a drum, the plucked strings of a lyre, and more.

The background of this papercut features the tones and textures of musical instruments, in blues and browns and gold and silver, alongside snippets of cut-up comic books and a medieval illustration of King David himself, playing his harp. There are numerous surprises to be found in these backgrounds, including one space left intentionally blank as a nod to the pauses between notes which, as one famous musician said, is where artistry lies.

Completed commission: "Visions of Johanna"

It's Bob Dylan's birthday today, and what better day to share my latest completed commission: "Visions of Johanna," a portrait of Dylan couched in the metaphor of the story of Jonah — they have both been called reluctant prophets, and they both have their visions.

The visions of Jonah came as he sat in the belly of the big fish which swallowed him. He had saved the fish from its destined death by the Leviathan, and midrash tells us that in return the fish took him on a journey through time and space — showing him the origin of the oceans, the path of the Israelites through the Red Sea, the beginning of breakers and waves, the pillars of the earth, and much more. These visions are represented by the textures and shapes within the big fish of this papercut, while it is behind these lines that Dylan’s visions are shown.

Represented through various salvaged papers, photographs, and textures, including pieces of The Bob Dylan Scrapbook, are representations of lyrics from Dylan’s “Visions of Johanna” — a handful of rain, the ghost of electricity, small talk at the wall, infinity up on trial, jewels and binoculars, the nightingale’s code, whispering and muttering...

There are fragments from the book of Jonah from a volume of Tanakh originally destined for ritual burial in the genizah. There are glimpses of album covers of “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan,” “Highway 61 Revisited,” and “Blonde on Blonde,” from which the song “Visions of Johanna” is taken.

There’s a piece of sheet music and handwritten lyrics scattered through the waves. There’s a bit of Dylan Thomas (from “Ballad of the Long-Legged Bait”), from whom Dylan took his surname. There’s a map, constellations, a reference to Woody Guthrie, a miniature figure of the prophet/musician himself... and more.

It is a raucous, wild, portrait of the artist through the metaphor of Tanakh and midrash, designed to illuminate Dylan’s character and encourage exploration of his lyrics and influence.

Homage to Chagall's "The Violinist"

I created this as a submission for a music-related competition -- designing little artworks to represent various categories in an online music archive. This is my homage to Marc Chagall's "The Violinist" (see below), for a category of music called "American Klezmer."