The Tanach Series: Selections by Joel Silverstein

The Tanach Series: Selections by Joel Silverstein
February 15 – June 30, 2022

Opening: Thursday, February 17, 2022 at 5:00-7:00 PM
Curated by Nancy Mantell, Co-Curator, Dr. Bernard Heller Museum

 

Exodus

Exodus

Jewish themes and subject matter are defining topics for Joel Silverstein, whose Tanach Series engages with the issues of visual art, personal experience, and the Hebrew Bible. The series pairs biblical books with paintings that are distinctive for their representational narratives, vivid figurative expressionism, and direct evocative brushwork. The narratives of Exodus, Deuteronomy, and Judges: Samson, the prophetic visions of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Ezekiel, Hosea, and Joel, and the books of Jonah, Lamentations, and Esther provide fertile sources of inspiration for these selected works.

 

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy

These paintings are illuminations, rather than illustrations, of the text, aligned with traditional Midrashim (commentaries) and autobiography. Silverstein’s new iconographies combine meditations on Western Art, especially Old Master biblical art, with a series of visual substitutions from popular arts and culture. These include portraits of the artist, family, and friends, images taken from comic books, and photos from cinema, particularly Biblical epics, adventure, sci-fi, and horror.

 

Painting of Jonah

Painting of Jonah

Joel Silverstein explains, “Employing these various elements from visual culture is a true analogy to the narrative style of the Hebrew Bible itself, where categories of history, symbolism, poetry, text, and visuality are equally unified and dependent upon each other.”
Silverstein breaks into the narratives to personalize them, rendering them as both timeless and modern. By accessing the narratives through the imagination, the possibility exists of creating a dialogue between ancient and contemporary creative minds. Silverstein’s goal is the creation of a rich constellation, linking religious and cultural Judaism, art, and the imagination.

Curator Nancy Mantell notes, “The artist’s intention is to send the viewer back to engage with the original biblical materials, see them anew, and appreciate them with fresh interest and inspiration.”

The full-color catalog with essay by Joel Silverstein and Nancy Mantell is available here.

DR. BERNARD HELLER MUSEUMHEBREW UNION COLLEGE-JEWISH INSTITUTE OF RELIGION
One West Fourth Street, New York, NY
huc.edu/hellermuseum

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm Tours/Information: 212-824-2218; pfreedman@huc.edu
Presented by the Irma L. and Abram S. Croll Center for Jewish Learning and Culture, with the support of George, z” l, and Mildred Weissman.