New Horizons Visual arts in Israel

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.