UDHR at Middlebury

I have a show of the UDHR (Universal Declaration of Human Rights) paintings that I did back in 1991, at Middlebury College in Vermont, starting in a couple of days. The 60th Anniversary of the UDHR is coming up, which explains the renewed interest, I guess.

Here's Article 5:


"No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."

You can see the complete set of 30 UDHR paintings here. You can use the arrow buttons to navigate through the paintings.

You can also see them here. This web site didn't ask permission, but if it's for a good cause & not-for-profit, I don't mind. A link to my own site would have been nice, if only so that interested parties could book the show, etc...

The Swing on the Roof

This is a shot from the roof of the Museum on the Seam during the opening for the "Bare Life" show. Left to right: Diana Ayton-Shenker (aka my much better half, goddess & muse), Jürgen Waxweiler (German sculptor featured in the show), myself, a Museum Guy (I will have to ask Raphie for the guy's name). The swing is by Carsten Höller from Belgium, & is not recommended for actual use, as it's 4 stories up, above a busy street. But that, as they say, is the whole point.

Some more links:

Jürgen Waxweiler's page on the Museum web site.

Jürgen Waxweiler's own web site.

Carsten Höller's page on the Museum web site.

Jerusalem, October 12, 2007

Here I am, outside the Museum on the Seam, 4 Chel Handasa St., Jerusalem, about to enter the exhibit, "Bare Life" (curated by Raphie Etgar). Lovely day, great show. About 450 people came for the opening, apparently.

Related links:

Museum on the Seam home page.

Bare Life exhibit overview.

Ayton page on Museum web site, with War Room image, The Witnesses.

The Face of Hiroshima

New small painting in the occasional "Hiroshima" series:


Acrylic on board, 2007, 10" x 8".

It's a kind of misuse of pointillism, here used to depict the atomization of human life, etc. Also reminds me of Gerhard Richter for some reason, the treatment of the paint. I was "inspired" to paint another image in this series (if series it is) by the inclusion of the "Hiroshima: Ground Zero" piece in the Museum on the Seam show, "Bare Life" -- see blog entry below this one. Here is that particular piece:


Acrylic on masonite, 2004, 12" x 9". Currently on display on the second floor of the Museum on the Seam.

Bare Life catalog

Just got back in from Jerusalem (via Kiev) late last night, exhausted but happy. The show was a success & I got my 15 seconds of fame on Israeli TV, in a news segment on the Bare Life show. It was also good to see Raphie Etgar (curator) & Merav Maor (museum director) again. I met German sculptor Jürgen Waxweiler and Chinese artist Sun Furong, among many other people.

The show contained work by 42 artists from all over the world, including big names such as Anselm Kiefer, Bill Viola, Bruce Nauman, Paul McCarthy, William Kentridge, Sophie Calle & so on. It was good company to be in.

Below is the catalog cover:



Cover image is "Cain Mark" by Israeli artist Haim Maor (color print photograph & collage)

Below is my double-page spread (pp. 86-87):


Click on image for larger version.

Images are (left) "The Witnesses", 2003 (War Room study) & "Hiroshima: Ground Zero", 2004, painted after the 2001 illustration commissioned by the New York Times Op-Ed page.

"Bare Life" -- Museum on the Seam

This invite for the Jerusalem show arrived in my email inbox the other day:


FYI, I'm listed 7th from the bottom on the left.

Click on the image for a more legible version.

Looks like it should be a good show. Curator: Raphie Etgar.