Avital Geva
Essay
Art may not be the first thing that springs to mind in association with Israel. Though with a little research it does not take long to find it holds an important place in the countries heritage. This article looks to the work of Avital Geva, an Israeli artist who struggled throughout his career with the institutionally imposed limitations of his occupation. Geva’ s work illustrates the fantastic potential of collaboration. An interesting concept in relation to a modern day discourse of art, and how the discipline interacts with wider social structures. Geva ultimately refused to define himself as simply an artist, famously renouncing his association with the art world in the early 1980’ s. However, his projects are often still considered within an artistic context.
Israeli art in the 1970’ s gained an acute social awareness. Works were critical and politically engaged. An exploration of boundaries was a defining theme of the era. Borders were a fundamental concept in the visualisation of this idea, with many works incorporating them in one way or another. Artists began to experiment with artistic objects, using mediums such as burnt paper, wires for drawing and even
11writer’ s block