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11
Talun
. g A Look At The Art Scene...
SUZANNE CHESSLER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
Palette of Plates
I eremonial objects have be-
come the centerpieces for artis-
tic competition and display at the
Spertus Museum in Chicago,
where this year's focus is seder plates.
Three prize-winning plates and 22
other entries will be on display through
April 30.
New York architects Brian Kaye and
David Kesler were awarded $10,000
for their Torah-like, geometrical design
that can be stored in a self-contained
structure.
The artistic team used angled lines
to create a cone-shaped Elijah's Cup
and a cone-shaped Matriarch Cup as
well as four brass surfaces that hold
the various seder foods.
"Since the plate requires assembly,
the participant takes an active role in
the intellectual creation of the seder,"
the first-prize winners commented in
the catalogue that accompanies the ex-
hibition.
The other entries --- from metal to
wood in a variety of colors, from round
to square shapes, from concrete figures
to abstract designs — offer new ways
to represent the symbols of
the holiday and communi-
cate its meaning.
Below left: Brian Kaye and David Kesler: Seder
Plate, sanded aluminum, sandblasted brass and
satin brass.
Glass Reaches Silver
Below right: Dan Dailey: Nude in Sticker Bushes
Lamp, gold-plate with patina, vitrolite base and
cream globe at Habatat Galleries.
-he 25th Annual International
Glass Invitational has been an-
nounced by Habatat Galleries in
Pontiac. Exhibitions, demonstra-
tions and workshops will be featured April
3-May 4 at Habatat as well as other gal-
leries and showrooms throughout the metro
area.
`This year's exhibition will have a strong
focus on the new glass artists of the Czech
Republic," revealed Kathy Hampson of Ha-
batat, 7 N. Saginaw. "Many of the artists
have never exhibited in the United States."
The following special displays and events
have been arranged to add to the celebra-
tion of April as Michigan Glass Month:
• A "Botanical Glass Sculpting Workshop"
with Frederick Birkhill and Shane Fero
will be held April 4-6 at the University of
Michigan in Dearborn.
• "Glass Roots: The Glass Artists of North
Carolina" showcases the work of 20 artists
at the Ariana Gallery in Royal Oak.
• "A Glass Act '9T' at Gallery: FunctionArt
in Pontiac features functional and sculp-
tural objects formed from both traditional
and radical techniques.
e
For information on events as-
sociated with the 25th Interna-
tional Glass Invitational, call
Habatat Galleries at (810) 333-
2060.
Tattoos Become
Holocaust Reminders
IT The Spertus Judaica
Prize Exhibition contin-
ues through April 30 at
the Spertus Museum,
618 S. Michigan Ave.,'
Chicago. Hours are 10
a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays-
Thursdays and 10 a.m.-
3 p.m. Fridays. For
information, call (312)
322-1747.
Israeli Sculptor
at Temple Fair
sraeli sculptor Victor
Halvani will partici-
pate in Temple Israel's
Art Fair '97, which
also will feature the work of 50 local
artists.
Among those displaying original pieces
are painters Andrea Tama and Patti Tap-
per, potters Joane Arkin and Sara B.
Frank, glass builder Stan Megdall, out-
door sculptor Lawrence Tazol and glass
etcher Ken Pellar.
During the fair, which runs April 12-
14, boutiques will showcase handmade
dolls, jewelry and clothing.
"Halvani will be showing his work
around the country, and this will be his
starting point," said Suzi Malach, who is
on the committee organizing the artwork.
The Halvani Exhibition, which contin-
ues through April 18, will spotlight orig-
• "Exotics: The Glass Collection of Patricia
Hill Barnett" will be at the Alfred Berkowitz
Gallery at the University of Michigan in
Dearborn.
final bronze, limited-edition sculp-
tures.
Inspired by biblical stories and
ancient Egyptian art, Halvani
forges a link between the past,
present and future, introducing
elements inspired by space tech-
nology.
Proceeds from the fair, spon-
sored by the sisterhood, benefit
temple and community projects.
e Art Fair '97 runs 8-11:30 p.m. Sat-
urday, April 12; 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Sun-
day, April 13; and 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Monday, April 14. For information, call
(810) 661-5700.
Above: Holocaust tattoos will be explored in
"Getting Inked: The Art of the Tattoo."
Above left: Victor Halvani: David Playing the Harp,
bronze with green patina.
olocaust tattoos covering
the body of a California
photographer will be the
-
_ topic of Wayne State Uni-
versity art historian Dora Apel as she
addresses the Detroit Institute of Arts
conference "Getting Inked: The Art
of Tattoo."
Scheduled Saturday, April 5, the
conference explores the history of tat-
too as an art form and its manifes-
tations in contemporary culture.
Marina Vainshtein, 23, who has
the Holocaust tattoos, represents a
postmodernist rejection of the sanc-
tity of the body, according to Apel. Af-
ter the first Star of David
body painting was applied
at age 18, Vainshtein went
on to honific Holocaust im-
ages including trains
transporting people to the
concentration camps.
"I've conducted phone
interviews with Marina
Vainshtein," said Apel.
"She believes the images
physically place the body
between the past and fu-
ture as a barrier to forget-
ting."
Other conference topics
include "Framing Tattoos:
From Bodily Disfigure-
ment to Work of Are'; 'Tat-
tooing and Youth
Cultures"; 'Tattooing as a
Medium"; and "Skin and Site."
e
Preregistration is required for "Get-
ting Inked: The Art of the Tattoo," a con-
ference scheduled between 10 a.m. and
5 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at the Detroit
Institute of Arts. For information, call
(313) 833-2323.