curated BY Lilach Schrag
ABOUT STUDIO STORIES 2020 - As the global health pandemic changed artists' lives and practice, Chicago-based artist Lilach Schrag found herself drawn to stories of how artists were adapting to lockdown and the new reality. The result is Lilach's curated presentation "Studio Stories 2020", hosted by Kol HaOt. "When I realized it would be impossible to have my scheduled June residency at Kol HaOt's gallery in Jerusalem, I reached out instead to colleagues and friends around the world who make contemporary art and started collecting their stories. I asked them to provide a glimpse into their mission, their methods, and their hearts. They spoke about their work, altered daily routines, challenging moments, uplifting realizations, and the ways in which they continue to create and adjust their practice during the pandemic. Individually, from their homes and their studios, they tell fascinating stories with thoughtful words and beautiful artwork. Collectively, they offer a snapshot of artists responding to the unprecedented reality of our time.” – Lilach Schrag, 2020
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Hanoch piven
HANOCH PIVEN IS AN AWARD-WINNING ILLUSTRATOR, EDUCATOR AND CREATIVE INSTIGATOR, WHOSE PLAYFUL ART REASSIGNS MEANING TO FOUND OBJECTS. YOU CAN SEE IT IN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS AND MAGAZINES ACROSS THE WORLD, SUCH AS TIME, ROLLING STONE, DER SPIEGEL, AND HAARETZ, or PLAY and create IN a Piven CREATIVE WORKSHOP. As A SEEDS OF PEACE FELLOW, he applies his ART METHOD TO FOSTER DIALOGUE BETWEEN ARABS AND JEWS.
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IMPROVISING
IN SOME ESSENTIAL WAY, MY ART IS ABOUT MAKING DO, ABOUT BEING FLEXIBLE AND ADJUSTING. I MAKE PICTURES THIS WAY BECAUSE I AM NOT A GREAT DRAFTSMAN OR PAINTER. IT HAS BECOME A WAY FOR ME TO GO AROUND MY WEAKNESSES.
ONCE I TOOK AWAY THE FOCUS FROM MY LIMITATIONS, THE PLACES WHERE I EXCEL COULD COME OUT: MY SENSE OF HUMOR, MY ABILITY TO CAPTURE LIKENESS, AND MY LOVE FOR COLOR.
I BELIEVE THAT MAKING ART TEACHES YOU TO BE FLEXIBLE, FORGIVING, AND ADAPTABLE. YOU CANNOT BE CREATIVE IF YOU DON’T FORGIVE YOUR SHORTCOMINGS.
I’D SAY THAT IMPROVISING IS A TRAIT THAT IS QUITE PRESENT IN ISRAEL, AND EVEN RELATES TO JEWISH HISTORY OF ACCEPTING CONSTANT MOVEMENT AND ADAPTATION.
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NON-LINEAR APPROACH
THERE IS A NON-LINEAR APPROACH IN MY ART THAT CONNECTS TO THE BIBLICAL AND TALMUDIC WAYS OF STUDYING. AS MY ART INCLUDES OBJECTS WITH SYMBOLIC MEANING THAT ACT AS ENTRY POINTS, PEOPLE OFTEN RELATE TO DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE SAME PIECE.
THESE DAYS, AS I AM COMPLETING A BOOK ABOUT BIBLICAL CHARACTERS (A COLLABORATION WITH PJ LIBRARY AND 929 ENGLISH,) I HAVE A GREATER APPRECIATION OF HOW MODERN STUDY OF SACRED TEXTS CAN HAVE DIVERSE ENTRY POINTS AND INTERPRETATIONS.
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COLLAGING
PART OF MY WORK IS CREATING SPACE FOR OTHERS TO ENGAGE IN AN ARTISTIC PROCESS OF CREATING A COLLAGE. I HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING WORKSHOPS FOR MANY YEARS AND WHEN I MEET JEWISH PARTICIPANTS, WE USUALLY TALK ABOUT COLLAGE AS A METAPHOR FOR OUR COMPOSED IDENTITY.
AS A COMMUNITY, WE ARE A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF BACKGROUNDS, INFLUENCES, JOURNEYS, AND EXPERIENCES, AND COLLAGE IS THE PERFECT ART METHOD TO ADDRESS THIS IDENTITY. IT ALLOWS FOR UNLIMITED WAYS TO COMPOSE AND COMMUNICATE OUR STORY.
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ART IN ITS ESSENCE CAN TEACH YOU TO SEE, BOTH AS AN OBSERVER OR AS A PARTICIPANT. IT ALLOWS YOU TO ENGAGE IN SOME INTERNAL PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION WITHIN A SAFE AREA.
HOPEFULLY MY ART CREATES PARTICIPATION WHERE THE VIEWERS NEED TO GIVE MEANING TO OBJECTS THEY SEE IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHO IS THE DEPICTED PERSON. THAT ACT OF GIVING MEANING REQUIRES A SENSE OF OBSERVATION TO OF DETAILS.
Einstein
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Each one of us has reacted to these times the way we usually react to anything. In my case, it was BEING practical, and ‘zooming' into a smaller resolution.
THREE LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED FROM THE CURRENT SITUATION:
LESSON #1
ART HAS ALWAYS TAUGHT ME, AND DURING THESE TIMES IT HAS BECOME CLEARER, THAT IN TIMES OF CONFUSION, OF LACK OF CONTROL AND EVEN OF DESPAIR, A BOARD TO WORK ON, A TABLE FULL OF OLD OBJECTS, AND AN IDEA, GO A LONG WAY IN GIVING YOU A SENSE OF CONTROL AND A POSSIBILITY TO EXPRESS YOURSELF AND MAKE YOURSELF HEARD.
WE ALL WANT TO FEEL ABLE AND SUCCESSFUL, AND IT IS HARD NOT TO FEEL THAT WAY AFTER CREATING SOMETHING. AN ART PROJECT GIVES YOU A HORIZON AND MAKES YOU OPTIMISTIC.
WHILE I DO NOT HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THE BIG PICTURE OF EVENTS, BEING BUSY CREATING HAS BEEN A GREAT WAY FOR ME TO DEAL WITH SOME PART OF THE WORLD WHERE I DO HAVE CONTROL.
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LESSON # 3
HUMILITY AND SELF-FORGIVENESS ARE REQUIRED IN TIMES LIKE THESE. THIS IS NO TIME TO BROADCAST YOUR EGO AND ALL YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS, BUT TO SEE HOW YOU CAN USE YOUR EXPERIENCE TO HELP OTHERS (AND SURVIVE YOURSELF THROUGH THE TOUGH TIMES.)
ARTISTS HAVE ALWAYS NEEDED TO BE IN CONSTANT SEARCH AND CONSTANT CHANGE, AND THEREFORE WE CAN BE GOOD TEACHERS TO PEOPLE WHO FOR THE FIRST TIME EXPERIENCED THEIR WELL-ORGANIZED WORLD FALLING APART.
ARTISTS, AND MAINLY ILLUSTRATORS, ARE GOOD COMMUNICATORS, AND ZOOM CAN WORK VERY WELL WHEN THERE IS A REAL SENSE OF WARM COMMUNICATION. SUDDENLY, WE LEARNED TO JUMP OVER GEOGRAPHIES AND EVEN THOUGH WE MEET VIRTUALLY, WE HAVE A SENSE OF BEING A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS.
Trump
Credits:
All images are courtesy of the artist.