art practice

Against Irony: Mysticism and Meaning in Contemporary Painting by Sam Abelow

Why does the Western Nude still dominate contemporary art? Today’s art does not resolve the necessary critique of history through further representation of the nude — through irony or ambiguity. The answer I look towards is found in Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah, and the idea of sacred concealment as a new language for painting the archetype of the feminine.

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Reflections on Early Paintings by Sam Abelow

I have felt a sense of chaos and disorder and pain in my life. I produce talismans to help myself with this. These images harness emotion and bring coherence to my fragmented sense of world and self. Today, after many years of working with symbolic images, I have obtained a more clear sense of self – recognizing my Jewish ancestry and ethnic identity. Art is my way of communicating: I want to help transform and develop our collective conversations and impact individual lives, which are interconnected through culture.

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