An epiphany is defined as a moment of realization. Mine came whilst urinating in front of two dancing Hassidic Jews at a shivah minyan. I was, of course, in the restroom, and the two men were encased in a glass frame that hung above the toilet. At that moment, it occurred to me that this was not the first time the three of us had met in such a fashion. In fact, growing up in the Orthodox, and later, when my mother joined the Cantorate, the Conservative community, one thing had remained constant: -the art. Regardless of denomination, nearly every Jewish house I went to had the same three defining aesthetics: 1)Chagall prints 2)Tacky abstract 80's metal wall sculpture and 3) Pictures of frum Jews dancing and/or playing some sort of Klezmer instrument in or around the bathroom. In spite of these similarities, I found that none of this work spoke about the modern Jewish experience. In my family alone there is a Conservative Cantor, an observant Orthodox Jew, an atheist, and an agnostic; yet, all of us identify strongly as Jews. So I took it upon myself to make paintings that encapsulate the essence of what it is that ties us all together. The result is this ongoing collection of work I call “Notes from the Tribe.” Each week I'll release a new work along with a few words. I invite you to leave your own notes, comments, and suggestions on the site, as the views expressed don't come from the tribe itself, just one of it's loving members.
