ART Habens Maya Gelfman spaces that encourage deep contemplation. Through them I want to deal with the dichotomy that one reality can reflect many and that there is no one definition. In that spirit I explore how extremities collide and more importantly how this collision ignites a change, thus opening a window of opportunity for something new to occur.
What makes a thing personal? What makes it generic? There is no neutral ground. Try as we may, our premises and reactions could never be completely objective and I don ' t believe they should. By being aware of this inevitable subjectivity I choose to seek a wider point of view, while reminding myself that it ' ll none-the-less be partial. Making a choice is an active statement and what develops responsive individuality. Black Birds- the one that got away was exhibited in a deserted military base on the Israel / Lebanon border. The hills that are seen from the windows are beyond the borderline, but purely geographically speaking- they are a continuous part of the view. It ' s the same piece of earth and the borders are man-made. I don ' t consider myself a political artist, at least not in the traditional sense, but the personal is political and my introspection has a trans-formative intention. I examine things also in the light of the collective conscious, as I try to reconcile conflicts and contradictions, and to ask how gaps can become motivators and the source of strength.
The image of birds taking to flight is a familiar one. It epitomizes an idea of hope, freedom and movement. It outlines the desire to break free and fly high. The yarn balls act as chains, they demonstrate a powerful tension between the pulling force of the ground and the endless promise of the open sky. That tension refers to inhibitions, restraints and the dissonance between wanting to move on and the things that hold us back- whether they are political, geographical, socioeconomic, gender-based or personal. In the late 1990s, I served in the army as a field medic. I was stationed just outside Ramallah, a major Palestinian city. In this position, I had the privilege and obligation to land emergency medical help to both sides.
I ' m no expert on these matters and don ' t presume to pass judgment. I have my opinions but am also well aware that things are never black and white. I ' ve encountered so many shades of grey and facets of humanity, and these gave me a better understanding of systems and forces. It was a humbling lesson in both being powerless and about the power that individuals can possess. How seemingly small gestures have a rippling effect and can become the power of many- for better or for worse.
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