Avant Garde: the 1950s and 1960s Visual arts in Israel

1 avant garde: 1950s , 1960s

1.1 new horizons
1.2 realism , social art
1.3 abstract art after new horizons

avant garde: 1950s , 1960s

in 1950s , 1960s israeli artists began exploring idiom of avant-garde current in europe , united states. immigrant artists brought trends israel, , influential israeli artists spent stints in europe, in france. of these artists sought universal style, while others sought develop uniquely israeli avant-garde, in spirit of nationalistic socialism , zionism.

new horizons

joseph zaritsky

naan, painter , model, 1949

israel museum, jerusalem



zvi mairovich gouache 1961 70x50 cm



dov feigin

growth, 1959

ein harod mueeum of art

the germination of new horizons ( ofakim hadashim ) movement can found in group of artists mounted exhibition in tel aviv s habima national theater in december 1942, under name group of 8 , group crystallized dominant artistic movement after founding of state in 1948. members of school included arie aroch, zvi meirowitch, avraham naton (natanson), avigdor stematsky , yehezkel streichman. work of sculptor dov feigin appeared in catalog of 1942 exhibition, though not displayed. in february 1947 5 of original members of group joined joseph zaritsky exhibit called group of 7 @ tel aviv museum of art. members of group stated group based in modernism, french, yet seeks unique style expresses our own reality .

for these artists, not statement of philosophy, practical work plan. zaritsky, served chairman of league of painters , sculptors in land of israel, opposed league s philosophy of equality among artists. in 1948, @ time of opening of artists house become league s permanent home, delegated select works bienniale in venice. selections caused such outrage among members ousted position. walked out group of artists, , founded alternative movement, new horizons . on 9 november 1948, tel aviv museum of art opened first exhibit bearing movement s name. among artists showing pinchas abramovich, marcel janco, aharon kahana, yohanan simon, avshalom okashi , moshe castel, movement founders zaritsky, streichman , feigin.

the group sought style reflected striving zionism , modernism. style largely dictated leading artists of group - zaritsky, stematsky mairovich , streichman. in practice, style variant of european modernism. style has been called lyrical abstract , in fact, there little purely abstract art, rather works rooted in local visual landscape. figurative style pushed toward abstract bold brush strokes, , strong use of bright colors typical of land of israel style, reflecting strong mediterranean light. formats rather small, , style similar european abstract art before second world war, akin art of wassily kandinsky, , unlike abstract art prevalent in united states @ time.

for example, in series yehiam (1949–1952), zaritsky depicts scenes establishment of kibbutz yehiam in northern israel. paintings in series (mostly watercolors) depict natural landscapes of region, while later paintings (mostly oil) abstractions of these earlier scenes. progression, contends art critic , curator mordecai omer, reflects zaritsky s belief external visual reality basis of artistic originality.

zvi mairovich, prominent members of okakim hadashim painted in abstract lyric style unlike colleagues mairovich more inclined german rather french pallette. hs bold use of black , reds particularly in gouaches. big breakthrough in oil pastels, made in large format. using deep space photo surface rather flat paper pioneering moment.

others in group, however, deviated style. marcel janco, of international fame involvement in dada movement in europe in 1930s, did not adopt approach abstraction; rather art uses european cubist , expressionist styles create jewish-zionist narrative. moshe castel, also, went through transformation during 1950s abstraction expressionism characteristic of canaanist movement.

in field of sculpture, group introduced new media. yechiel shemi, dov feigin, and, after sojourn in britain, itzhak danziger, introduced welded steel new medium. new form freed these artists figurative character of stone , wood carving, more purely abstract oeuvre. here, too, however, there frequent reference canaanite figurativeness , symbolism.

indeed, during 1950s, new horizons group tended more , more toward abstract, , away reliance on figurative. zaritsky led shift, rooted in saw guiding ideology. members of group, however, rejected ideology, , quit movement. these included janco, * alexander bogen, aharon kahana , yehiel simon.

realism , social art

while abstract , secular works of new horizons group had profound influence on course of art in israel, nonetheless considered @ time on fringes of mainstream art, figurative , bearing explicit jewish , zionist messages. explicitly nationalist trend in israeli art denounced opponents regionalism . new horizon critics, maintained art international , universal, opposed ideology of bezalel school @ time. mordechai ardon, head of bezalel, wrote in 1954, every artist, every citizen, must serve country in heart , in soul . artists simon zabar, moshe gat, , ruth schloss created works reflected national social tensions, socialist political slant, , glorification of worker. others, naftali bezem , miron sima, moshe bromberg (bar-am) depicted dramatic events of period - world war ii , holocaust. works explicitly jewish, while adopting styles of european avant-garde of 20th century.

the quest connection between artist , society reflected in monumental works on walls of public buildings commissioned beginning in 1950s. examples include mosaics of mordechai gumpel on walls of public buildings in petach tikva, holon , elsewhere, depict jewish settlers building nation, in style drawing on canaanists; or yohanan simon s mural of kibbutz youth @ kibbutz gan shmuel, showing youth living socialist dream.

new horizons artists, too, despite avowed adherence philosophy of universality, expressed in works sentiments of nationalism, zionism, , socialism. example, zaritsky, 1 of leading ideologues of universalist school, produced series of paintings focusing on israeli kibbutzim - series yehiam , , similar series on naan (a kibbutz in central israel), 1950–1952. both these series include abstractions of israeli landscape. zvi mairovich 1 of founders of new horizons produced series of large oil paintings called mizpe ramon focousing on israeli deseret. sculptor dov feigin produced wheat sheaves in 1956, , dadaist janco painted soldiers , air raid alarms , maabarot (jerry-built communities housing new jewish immigrants in 1950s). of new horizons artists belonged center advanced culture run socialist-zionist youth movement hashomer hatzair . activity culminated in founding of artists village ein hod group of artists headed marcel janco. there, janco hoped found new socialist , artistic utopia.

mordechai ardon s work stands out of other new horizons artists dealing mystical , historical, rather concentrating on present. canvases depict episodes jewish history, biblical scenes holocaust. example, painting gate of light (1953), shows tree of life, symbol of great biblical , kabbalistic meaning, within surrealistic landscape reminiscent of work of paul klee , others.

ever since, surrealism has played significant role in israeli art, , of gifted , influential proponents include artists zeev kun, samuel bak, baruch elron, joel tal-mor, yosl bergner.

abstract art after new horizons

during 1950s, 1960s , 1970s, work of new horizons group influenced new artistic trends in israel. artists, yechiel shemi , aviva uri, continued work of group after dissolved, working in non-objective abstract mode.

new horizons last exhibit in 1963. number of young artists joined exhibit, including raffi lavie, moshe kupferman , igael tumarkin. in 1964, new group of 30 artists formed, called tazpit ( outlook ), group carried torch of abstract art 1960s , 1970s.

zvi mairovich panda, oil pastel/paper 39 x 39 cm 1971

one of artists on fringe of new horizons group developed new style arie aroch. in contrast ideal of rest of group, aroch s works showed, in addition lyric abstraction, tendency toward substantive content. example, red house (how things @ home?) (1960), sarajevo manuscript (1966), , others hinted @ content of jewish historical significance along influence of pop art of time. in works high commissioner (1966) , agripas street (1964), instance, many interpretations these works received included widespread perception of them historical paintings in judaism , jewish tradition given place of prominence. these paintings in particular, , aroch s work in general, viewed antithesis of caananite approach seen, example, in itzhak danziger s works.

aviva uri created expressive abstract drawings motifs , images called mind birds, circus images, , landscapes. artist, lea nikel, painted highly colored abstracts in style of french art of period. avigdor arikha painted in israel during years according principles outlined new horizons group. arikha painted large works in dark colors until emigrated europe, began produce small figurative paintings. abstract art merged conceptual art in israel in 1960s , 1970s.

moshe kupferman, had studied painting chaim atar (aptaker), zaritsky, alexander bogen , others developed identifiable style characterized reduced use of color, , process of erasing , wiping drawing on , on until formed expressive grid. many years kupferman refused identify works external themes, in spite of critics attempts label paintings reaction holocaust. alternatively, works have been described phenomenological process: layers constructed in dialectical process accrues life experience layers accumulate .