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means to be a good Jew.
The drawings weave in and out of the text, chroni-
cling the historical fascination with decoration and the
gradual stripping away of that decoration as a result of
f the time of bar mitzvah entails contemplation —
mechanical ideology. Among the symbolism are cups
of religion and values, of the past and future —
and bells that represent traditional objects melted down
then the book Bar Mitzvah can assist in deepening
to make armaments, different windows as suggestions of
those thoughts.
.
old and new and color stripes and buttons standing for
Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Mamet wrote the
concentration camp uniforms held together by a golden
story of a young boy, who, on the eve of his bar mitzvah,
thread, marking the difference between life and death.
learns about life from an old man, whose antique watch
"The drawings are very meticulous, and I had.to do a lot
reveals something of people's relationship to God.
\
,--
of research," says Sultan, whose images for this book are very
The artwork, which
different from the colorful
carries focused symbols,
renderings that appear in
is by Donald Sultan,
an earlier fine art book,
whose museum-quality
The Still Lift.
paintings and sculptures
"Some of the images,
are in many prestigious
such
as the buttons and
collections, including
the
barbed
wire, came
the one at the Detroit
from going -to the Jewish
Institute
of
Arts.
\_
)
Heritage Museum in
Bar Mitzvah recent-
New York. The gold
ly was released in three
ingots came from what's
formats: a trade edition
been
going on trvina to
(Little, Brown and
get
the
Swiss [and oth-
Co.; 526.95) available
ers]
to
own
up to their
through bookstores; a
t
y,"
says Sultan.
culpabili
fine art edition avail-
"I didn't want to
able through galleries
dwell too much on the
(including Artspace II
camps or trivialize that
Gallery in
experience, so I set it in
Birmingham); and a
a larger historical con-
deluxe edition for
text. We're still working
museums and other,,
Donald Sultan: "Buttons and Threads."
our
way through that."
public collections (cur-
Mamet and Sultan,
rently on display at the
who brought their Jewish
Jewish Museum in
identity to Bar Mitzvah,
New York).
also
have collaborated on
In the limited fine
other
projects, including
art edition 0E395 con-
another
children's book,
secutively numbered
Warm
and
Cold, which
books, each signed by
was
done
in
1981.
the author and artist,
Because both men travel quite a
there are four removable prints
bit, they kept their own youngsters
that can be framed and used as
in mind and developed an explana-
wall art. The book's special fea-
tion in story and art of what it
tures include hand-inlaid, 22-carat
means to travel faraway from home
gold leaf and hand-deckled paper.
and
then come back.
"This book is directed
They
are close friends, and each is
Donald
Sultan:
-
David
Mamet
and
toward the adult in children,"
creators
of
"Bar
Mitzvah."
a
godfather
to the other's daughter.
says Sultan, whose artwork was
Sultan's daughter, Frances, now grown,
completed after Mamet sent
will be entering the University of Michigan in the fall.
him the text and suggested their collaboration. "It's
In other ventures, Sultan has done covers for Mamet's
directed at thinking and real emotions that people — not
books,
and Mamet has written essays in catalogues
just children — have. It's a tough book, the kind to revis-
accompanying
Sultan's exhibits.
it and look at for a long, long time.
"The
idea
for
the books with removable art was the pub-
"The two stories being told, the one by the old man
lisher's," Sultan explains. "Since these books are very big,
and the one by the drawings, are very rich and complex.
everybody can't keep them out and open, [so this is a way]
They transcend the actual words and enter a metaphysi-
people can live with some of the art. I think in the last 30
cal dialogue. It's not a straight story; it's a very complex
years, there have been only three or four books like it."
story told in very short verse."
In the fine art editions, the text is printed in both
English and Hebrew. The story moves through a mysteri-
The fine art edition of Bar Mitzvah is on view at
ous journey from the intricacies of watchmaking to the
the Artspace II Gallery, 303 East Maple, Birmingham.
horrors of Europe and the Holocaust, as the old man
(248) 258-1540.
his understanding o of life's struggles and what it

Martin Kohn, Detroit Free Press

SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to The Jewish News

I

then enjoy
Join the happy couple as they tie the knot,
the reception, which includes a pasta supper, wedding cake
and a champagne toast. You can interact with a variety of
lovable lunatics and zany relatives, throw some rice, kiss
the bride or dance with the groom to a live band!

Mar Mitzvah'

A special collaboration between
writer David Mamet
and artist Donald Sultan.

.

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1999

Detroit Jewish News

69