|
Judaica
Israeli Encounters
When my husband took his Sabbatical year in 1979, we decided
to go to Israel. Although grown up, our four children and one friend (now
our son-in-law) came with us. It seemed as though we had set up our own
private kibbutz , since each of us acquired new friends.
An artist friend of mine was working in Jerusalem. When
I called her, she invited me to share her studio, which overlooked the
Old City. I was delighted to accept her generous offer. Since there were
no art foundries in Jerusalem, my friend, a jewelry maker suggested that
I talk to the man who cast her jewelry. He told me that he could cast
my work, but they had to be limited in size. They would be cast centrifugally
and each piece had to fit into a cylinder measuring no more than 6 1/2"
x 4 1/2" and weigh in metal no more than a kilo ( 2.2 pounds ). These
were severe limitations, but I agreed.
Sometimes I walked to my studio, sometimes I took the
bus. Each day brought new adventures. The long and colorful clothes people
wore seemed like costumes to me. The new sights, sounds, and smells were
so enchanting that I knew I had to capture them in some way. People doing
what they normally do in their every day life was special to me. The twenty
- five sculptures I created are a record of the people I saw and the encounters
I had.
|
