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Zachary Oxman's Chanukah menorah is part of The White House
Collection of American Crafts.
I just go for it. Anything you do,: if you
*rake small enough steps, you can just
do it."
His wife Janna, who left her career as
a trial lawyer to handle business and
publicity for Mr. Oxman (and who,
right at the moment, is handling some-
thing else, their newborn son, Elias
Samuel, born October 3 and not quite
attuned yet to the concept of sleeping
through the night), shakes her head
ttendy.
"No, your ability to figure things
out, to make static objects flow or
dance, other people can't." She's trying
to tell him that not everyone has this
ability to make metal come to life.
Yet to the artist, it all seems perfectly
natural. "My mother [Laney Oxman] is
a ceramic artist, and my father is an
architect who does custom homes, says
iMr. Oxman, who grew up in Reston,
Va., and now lives in Bethesda, Md.
Raised in a Reform Jewish temple, Mr.
Oxman and his wife belong to the
Reform Washington Hebrew
Congregation, in Washington, D.C.
"I feel I really turned out to be a
complete synthesis of both my parents,"
he continues. "My mom is your total
artist, so crazy and creative sometimes
tier thoughts get beyond her putting
them into words. My father is very
mathematical, planned out, and I'm
right in the middle. Slightly crazy but
able to plan it out." (An older sister
dabbled in the performing arts, but has
since struck out for entirely..new territo-
ry — special education).
The house was always awash in art,
especially American crafts — wildly
Surreal creations. A great atmosphere:
'Anything I wanted to do, art-wise, I
could. Creativity was encouraged," Mr.
Oxman reflects.
But he didn't start out to be an
artist. He thought he was headed for a
career in movie special effects. "I loved
animation — and monsters," he says,
eyes bright. That was how he ended up
it Carnegie Mellon University, in
'Pittsburgh, Pa., figuring he'd need to
study engineering, along with art, if he
wanted to turn out Hollywood robots.
A junior year in Florence, Italy,
though, shifted his attention. He found
himself "awestruck" by the sculpture,
particularly that of the baroque period.
"It showed me the lack of limitation,
that almost anything is possible. Here
you had people 300, 400 years ago,
turning out the most unbelievable
work. Marble sculptures that look like
you could go up and push the flesh,
and it would be warm."
and First Lady Hillary Rodham
Clinton, assisted by Michael Monroe,
former curator of the Renwick Gallery
of the Smithsonian Institution, to
sculpt a menorah for the first perma-
nent White House Collection of
American Crafts.
All the works were donated by the
artists, and the approximately 80-piece
collection is now touring the country's
art museums. From December 19,
As an artist, he didn't begin by creat-
1997 through February 22, 1998, the
ing Judaica, but in a way, that seems to
collection can be viewed at its final tour
have been another natural progression.
stop, the Delaware Art
"I was doing craft shows,
Maryland artist Museum, in Wilmington,
and I did these dancing fig-
Zachary Oxman Del. The collection will then
ures, then a candlestick, then
wants his metal return to the White House,
one year I made a menorah —
sculptures
to have and will eventually become
and people went crazy," Mr.
"motion
and
part of the Clinton Permanent
Oxman says.
emotion."
Library, at a site to be chosen
He's not kidding, either.
when President Clinton ends
Two people who took special
his term in office. However,
note currently live in the
libraries and national institutions can
White House. In 1993, Mr. Oxman
request pieces from the collection to
was invited by President Bill Clinton
put on exhibit.
Mr. Oxman has made other
tnenorot for The White House. In
1995 and 1996, he was asked to create
menorot to be displayed there during
the holiday season. In fact, Mrs.
Clinton became such a fan that she
asked him to create a set of cufflinks for
the president, and a special sculpture in
honor of the Bosnia peace accord.
Naturally, the attention hasn't hurt
Mr. Oxman's career. Nor has it hurt
that just as he started turning out
Judaica five years ago, the art form
began to explode. Today Mr. Oxman
produces mezzuzot, kiddush cups and
dreidels, all meticulously sculpted pieces
of art.
The process is a lengthy one involv-
ing sculpting in wax, adding several
layers of shell, melting out the wax,
then filling the shell with molten
metal. Mr. Oxman does this process at
his foundry, which is located on the
grounds of his parents' home. After
that comes the polishing.
Understandably, the price tag per item
can run into the thousands.
As far as Mr. Oxman is concerned,
Judaica is a good fit. "I'm a happy per-
son. My work leans towards the upside
of human emotion — joy, celebration.
And I think the Jewish religion is one
that really does pride itself on the abili-
ty to celebrate. You celebrate your fami-
ly and life and where you've been —
and that's the aspect of Judaism I try to
show."
Mr. Oxman is also involved in other,
non Judaica projects. His downstairs
studio reveals a huge lion's head, a con-
signment, slated for someone's mantle.
Upstairs on a table in the living room is
one of his most bizarre creations — a
bronze wedding cake. Press a button
and it opens, a small Marilyn Monroe
figure rises from the center and a
breathy tape plays "Happy birthday,
Mr. President."
Yet he sees Judaica as a continuing
challenge.
"Doing sculpture that celebrates the
joy in Judaism is a theme that's endless,
bottomless. It's up to the artist to keep
pushing," he says.
❑
12/19
1997
73
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