SOME OF THE GREATEST
NAMES IN THE ART
around the world and touch upon
both highly personal and cosmic
views. Some pieces, such as
Avadenka's, are unmistakable images
of books, while others are more sym-
bolic, mixing materials and styles.
Although many of the books were
planned specifically for this show, oth-
ers were completed long before the
tour was even an idea.
"Identity, roots and pride have been
themes throughout many other ethnic
groups in the postwar years," says
curator Judith A. Hoffberg. "But only
now have Jewish women voiced their
ethnic affiliation and their exquisite
aesthetic genius in making bookworks
which hark back to the very essence of
the 'People of the Book.'"
Hoffberg has been involved with
this specialized field since the 1960s,
first as a collector, then as a librarian
who collects for institutions and then
as a lecturer and curator.
"The themes are as varied as the
women, who come mostly from North
America but also from New Zealand,
Italy, Ireland, South Africa and Israel.
The Jewish ritual and liturgy are part
of some of the books, while others
involve personal histories, including
family tales, the Holocaust, traditions,
journeys and roles.
"These women have so much in
common," continues Hoffberg, "yet
each book has a distinctivelife of its
own. Viewers don't have to be Jewish
to appreciate the show. There isn't a
book without a message."
Hoffberg assembled the works in
California after sending off an e-mail
requesting artists to submit samples.
She never anticipated the huge
response she would receive — with
works done as assemblages, scrolls and
certificates.
Tatana Kellner's Fifty Years of Silence
is among the most serious pieces. It
shows two large-scale books, one with
a sculpted arm of a man, the other
with a sculpted arm of a woman and
both with tattooed numbers to cap-
ture the constant external reminders of
the Holocaust.
Rose-Lynn Fisher presents a hand-
made book with infrared photographs
of pomegranates for her piece, titled
Inside, while Barbara Drucker uses real
matzot in Evidence of Passover.
Nothing to Be Written Here, a video
by Wendy Oberlander, replaces her
large-scale installation about Canadian
immigrants. The actual artwork was
not available for the Michigan exhibi-
tion.
"Books are intimate, one-to-one
experiences, and that's why there are
two book tables that people can
browse," says Hoffberg, who provides
gloves so visitors can handle the works
that are not fragile." Artist books
become sequences of ideas that involve
the eye, the hand and then the heart."
Through this exhibition, Hoffberg
hopes to emphasize the history of
women in the art of creating books.
Editor and publisher of the art
newsletter Umbrella, she has a collec-
tion of more than 5,000 bookworks
housed at the Special Collections of
the Arts Library at the University of
California at Los Angeles.
"In the long tradition of making
books, women were the unsung hero-
ines, especially in the Middle Ages,
doing the illuminations and binding
and sometimes even making the
paper," she explains. "It is not unusu-
al, therefore, at the end of the millen-
nium to find women unsung again,
making paper, illuminating pages and
binding the books by hand. Some
women even have assumed the role of
printer and have created multiple edi-
tions as well."
Avadenka, who has been creating
art books for many years, will present
a slide lecture on her approach at 7:30 .
p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28, in the gallery.
"I like that book art is a participa-
tory art form," Avadenka says.
"Viewers have to get engaged as they
move in close and actually pick up a
book. I work in multiples so I can
share my ideas with more people." II
WORLD HAVE LEFT OUR
GALLERY IN A HURRY!
Hockney. Warhol. Dine. Picasso.
We get their works in.
But they tend not to hang around very long.
flBISPflCf
A
RESALE GALLERY FOR FINE ART.
303 East Maple Road
Birmingham, Michigan 48009
p: 248.258.1540 • f: 248.258.8814
Call Lois Pincus Cohn for consignments
Women of the Book: Jewish Artists,
Jewish Themes runs Oct. 14-Nov.
21 at the Janice Charach Epstein
Museum/Gallery in the D. Dan
and Betty Kahn Building of the
Jewish Community Center in
West Bloomfield. A reception to
honor curator Judith A Hoffberg
will be held from 6-8 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 14.
Artist Lynne Avadenka pre-
sents a slide lecture of her work
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28.
Diane Smith will teach an art
class for children, "Creating Pop-
Up Books," for ages 6-10, 1:30
p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31. The fee is
$4 members/$5 nonmembers;
call to reserve a spot.
Museum hours are 11 a.m.-4
p.m. Sundays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Mondays-Wednesdays and 11
a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays. (248)
661-7641.
•
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Unique gifts, accessories and
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340 East Maple Road
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books on design, architecture,
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Detroit Jewish News
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