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Conceptual symbolism as original form of Jewish conceptual painting
1. Original Jewish painting is not a painting «about Jews». It is important to separate Jewish painting as a national and characteristic feature of the Jewish nation from painting "about Jews" as the visual environment of any supranational culture. Jewish art and painting in particular developed under the direct influence of the Jewish religious tradition and, specifically, the second commandment of the Torah: "Never make an image of what is above in the sky, what is on the ground below, what is in the water, what is under the jam. Never worship them or serve them..." (Exodus 20:4-5)
2. Jewish painting is based on bans. Thus, Judaism prohibits the creation of images for ritual or other purposes. This prohibition is primarily concerned with images of people and gods, because these images are most likely to gravitate to the creation of idols. "Idol worship is the cause of all our troubles," the Talmud says. The reason we do not know much about old or primitive Jewish paintings is that we regard them only as a form of decoration of religious objects and not as an independent art objects.
3. Go round prohibitions. There is a view that many artists present to us not a Jewish painting – but the painting "about the Jews" in many supra-national cultures. Of course, at the same time it is necessary – sometimes — to use in art quite simple and funny tricks. For example, since the Jewish tradition forbade human images, the Jewish artist deliberately displays a man like an animal, or comes up with some new fantastic creature. Sometimes human being exaggerate just to grotesque forms, forfeiting many human traits. This is a curious but constant series of images, often used by many artists in modern art practice.
4. Conceptual Symbols are original signs. As for the conceptual symbolism – it seems today a natural reading of the contemporary interpretation of Jewish painting. In its stylistic, we can find a very special and antic system of values. It is difficult to challenge the conceptuality of the sacred commandments of the Torah, and their illustrative form in the conceptual symbolism is quite natural.
5. Conceptual symbolism as Junction of Times. The absence of "prettiness" (in the words of J. Kosuth) in the art objects of the new or conceptual symbolism (as Vitaly Komar named this art practice), without a doubt, corresponds to the principles of Jewish painting. The expressed philosophical context of these works, asserting the existence of an absolute Origin and Craft as the root cause of all things, is their most important principle. It might be regarded, as these works are a clear illustration to the link between Eternity and the Moment, between the General and the Private, between the Person and the People.
2. Jewish painting is based on bans. Thus, Judaism prohibits the creation of images for ritual or other purposes. This prohibition is primarily concerned with images of people and gods, because these images are most likely to gravitate to the creation of idols. "Idol worship is the cause of all our troubles," the Talmud says. The reason we do not know much about old or primitive Jewish paintings is that we regard them only as a form of decoration of religious objects and not as an independent art objects.
3. Go round prohibitions. There is a view that many artists present to us not a Jewish painting – but the painting "about the Jews" in many supra-national cultures. Of course, at the same time it is necessary – sometimes — to use in art quite simple and funny tricks. For example, since the Jewish tradition forbade human images, the Jewish artist deliberately displays a man like an animal, or comes up with some new fantastic creature. Sometimes human being exaggerate just to grotesque forms, forfeiting many human traits. This is a curious but constant series of images, often used by many artists in modern art practice.
4. Conceptual Symbols are original signs. As for the conceptual symbolism – it seems today a natural reading of the contemporary interpretation of Jewish painting. In its stylistic, we can find a very special and antic system of values. It is difficult to challenge the conceptuality of the sacred commandments of the Torah, and their illustrative form in the conceptual symbolism is quite natural.
5. Conceptual symbolism as Junction of Times. The absence of "prettiness" (in the words of J. Kosuth) in the art objects of the new or conceptual symbolism (as Vitaly Komar named this art practice), without a doubt, corresponds to the principles of Jewish painting. The expressed philosophical context of these works, asserting the existence of an absolute Origin and Craft as the root cause of all things, is their most important principle. It might be regarded, as these works are a clear illustration to the link between Eternity and the Moment, between the General and the Private, between the Person and the People.
