Spiritual Themes
"I think a lot about spirituality, cosmology and what the idea of God means. Capturing these 'grand ideas' in steel is the real challenge. What was I thinking!"
As I’ve tackled a variety of themes, I discovered the strong connections between my artwork and my Jewish faith. I think lot about what/who God is and how do I relate to the idea of God/a God. As well, I feel a magnetic connection to the Ukraine-founded Chasidic movement, its founder, the Baal Shem Tov and his great-grandson, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. They were truly visionaries-men of knowledge, empathy and compassion who had a profound understanding of how we can find joy and redemption in our lives.
"I think a lot about spirituality, cosmology and what the idea of God means. Capturing these 'grand ideas' in steel is the real challenge. What was I thinking!"
As I’ve tackled a variety of themes, I discovered the strong connections between my artwork and my Jewish faith. I think lot about what/who God is and how do I relate to the idea of God/a God. As well, I feel a magnetic connection to the Ukraine-founded Chasidic movement, its founder, the Baal Shem Tov and his great-grandson, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. They were truly visionaries-men of knowledge, empathy and compassion who had a profound understanding of how we can find joy and redemption in our lives.
Heneini- Here I Am! (2017)
The Hebrew letters (Hey-Nuhn-Nuhn-Yud) in this piece spell the word, Heneini, or Here I Am. This is a powerful word in the Old Testament. Abraham spoke this word as he was about to sacrifice his son, Issac, and Moses spoke this word as he appeared before God on Mt. Sinai. What does it mean? I believe it means "I appear before you, my God, fully present and prepared to do whatever you ask me to do." It is a word that has mesmerized me for years as I read these biblical stories year after year. I wanted to create a small sculpture to capture the transcendent and haunting quality of this word.
The Hebrew letters (Hey-Nuhn-Nuhn-Yud) in this piece spell the word, Heneini, or Here I Am. This is a powerful word in the Old Testament. Abraham spoke this word as he was about to sacrifice his son, Issac, and Moses spoke this word as he appeared before God on Mt. Sinai. What does it mean? I believe it means "I appear before you, my God, fully present and prepared to do whatever you ask me to do." It is a word that has mesmerized me for years as I read these biblical stories year after year. I wanted to create a small sculpture to capture the transcendent and haunting quality of this word.
1-800-Call God (2015)
The great Chassidic rabbi, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810) encour aged his disciples to follow his example and speak directly to God. He called this practice Hetbodidut. No request to God was too trivial. He wanted to see God as his best friend and confidante. Now fast forward to the 21st century. How do we connect with God? And how would Rebbe Nachman use today’s technology to encourage his followers to talk to God?
1-800-Call God would be the perfect solution! And it’s a collect call. This isn’t a Tower of Babel because it really works! This 16 foot tower contains symbols that create an enormous energy field that enhances spiritual connection. In the summer of 2017, I dismantled this piece to make room for other sculptures.
The great Chassidic rabbi, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810) encour aged his disciples to follow his example and speak directly to God. He called this practice Hetbodidut. No request to God was too trivial. He wanted to see God as his best friend and confidante. Now fast forward to the 21st century. How do we connect with God? And how would Rebbe Nachman use today’s technology to encourage his followers to talk to God?
1-800-Call God would be the perfect solution! And it’s a collect call. This isn’t a Tower of Babel because it really works! This 16 foot tower contains symbols that create an enormous energy field that enhances spiritual connection. In the summer of 2017, I dismantled this piece to make room for other sculptures.
Jerusalem (2014) SOLD
The original design for this piece started as two three-dimensional triangles. As is often the case, as the work evolved each side seemed to generate its distinctive energy field. This reminded me of my travels to the holy city of Jerusalem where the divisive issues of religion, ethnicity, race and poverty/affluence play themselves out amidst the city’s beauty, history and splendor.
The original design for this piece started as two three-dimensional triangles. As is often the case, as the work evolved each side seemed to generate its distinctive energy field. This reminded me of my travels to the holy city of Jerusalem where the divisive issues of religion, ethnicity, race and poverty/affluence play themselves out amidst the city’s beauty, history and splendor.
Jigsaw Puzzle (2015/16) SOLD
When I was preparing the eulogy for my brother’s memorial service some years ago, I searched for a way to express the unique connections that siblings have regardless of the quality of their relationship. I found a poem by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner called “Jigsaw.” I created this piece in order to capture the essence of this poem-our interconnect- edness as well as the fragility of relationships that always stand a chance of being repaired. We just need to find the pieces that fit together. Read this poem located at the bottom of my Bio page.
When I was preparing the eulogy for my brother’s memorial service some years ago, I searched for a way to express the unique connections that siblings have regardless of the quality of their relationship. I found a poem by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner called “Jigsaw.” I created this piece in order to capture the essence of this poem-our interconnect- edness as well as the fragility of relationships that always stand a chance of being repaired. We just need to find the pieces that fit together. Read this poem located at the bottom of my Bio page.
13 Qualities:
The Mussar Series (2016)
Mussar (which means moral conduct or discipline in Hebrew) is a developmental process for building and strengthening one’s moral character. It is rooted in a 1000 years of Jewish thought and became a more formalized practice about 200 years ago. It involves focusing on a specific quality (or mida in Hebrew) such as patience, humility, silence, or equanimity and then reflecting on our behavior, attitudes and beliefs associated with this mida. The goal is to seek ways to optimize each quality in our day-to-day life. I draw/doodle in a free and open style as we discuss our mida each session. Then I fabricate this drawing in steel within a 10”x 12” frame. I completed 13 of these midot rectangles and assembled them as a complete 7 1/2 foot sculpture.
Detail of two Midot rectangle (Top: Anger (ka'as); Lower: Lovingkindness (hesed)
Nuclear War Triptych: Honoring The Hibakusha (2015)
The development and use of the nuclear bomb is the most significant event in my lifetime. It profoundly shaped world history. Its develop-ment mobilized the greatest scientists and engineers to bring it to fruition. It ended a war and unleashed an indescribable horror on earth. Against this backdrop, how do we understand the idea of God?
The Five Books of Moses/Old Testament is replete with tales of God as loving, nurturing, and compassionate as well as judgmental, vengeful and unyielding. The Hebrew letters you see on this piece (you read Hebrew from right to left) are the letters Yud Heh Vav Heh- the holiest name for God in Judaism. These four letters represent a version of God’s name that is never pronounced. Many simply say HaShem- The Name. Jews read this name as Adonai when it is written in text. There are many names for God in Judaism, but this particular name for God (YHVH) holds the greatest power. I wanted to create a direct connection between God’s holiest name and this most destructive of human-created forces, the A-bomb.
This piece also pays homage to the Hibakusha (pronounced hee-bakh-sha), the Japanese who were unwitting victims of the atomic bomb. More than 200,000 civilians-men, women and children- died at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and hundreds of thousands more suffered from injury and radiation-related diseases. I applaud President Barack Obama for being the first sitting US President to visit Hiroshima.
The development and use of the nuclear bomb is the most significant event in my lifetime. It profoundly shaped world history. Its develop-ment mobilized the greatest scientists and engineers to bring it to fruition. It ended a war and unleashed an indescribable horror on earth. Against this backdrop, how do we understand the idea of God?
The Five Books of Moses/Old Testament is replete with tales of God as loving, nurturing, and compassionate as well as judgmental, vengeful and unyielding. The Hebrew letters you see on this piece (you read Hebrew from right to left) are the letters Yud Heh Vav Heh- the holiest name for God in Judaism. These four letters represent a version of God’s name that is never pronounced. Many simply say HaShem- The Name. Jews read this name as Adonai when it is written in text. There are many names for God in Judaism, but this particular name for God (YHVH) holds the greatest power. I wanted to create a direct connection between God’s holiest name and this most destructive of human-created forces, the A-bomb.
This piece also pays homage to the Hibakusha (pronounced hee-bakh-sha), the Japanese who were unwitting victims of the atomic bomb. More than 200,000 civilians-men, women and children- died at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and hundreds of thousands more suffered from injury and radiation-related diseases. I applaud President Barack Obama for being the first sitting US President to visit Hiroshima.