El Arte ne Anna

Barcelona painter holds her first solo U.S.
exhibition at Janice Charach Epstein Gallery.

SUZANNE CHESSLER

Special to the Jewish News

T

wo young boys wearing
yarmulkes sit at a table and
quietly look at open books.
A not-quite-delineated
David embraces Bathsheba. Buildings
from Jerusalem's Old City converge
together but appear to be leaning in
different directions.
Such are three of the 49 part-figura-
tive, part-abstract oil paintings on can-
vas of Anna Lentsch to be exhibited
July 12-Aug. 30 at the Janice Charach
. Epstein Gallery in the West
Bloomfield Jewish Community
Center. "Anna Lentsch: Contemporary
Painter from Barcelona" opens with a
talk by the artist at a reception run-
ning 6:30-8 p.m. on Thursday.
The Spanish painter, who has been
represented in group exhibitions in the
United States, is having her first solo
show in this country. It follows other
singular exhibitions held throughout
Europe beginning in the 1970s.
"This is a selection of work with
Jewish themes that I did over the past
10 years," says Lentsch, 57, who does

7/6

2001

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"At first we noticed the palette
not restrict herself to religious
of
colors she used," says Richard
subjects. "The paintings from the
Leland,
who shares an interest
early 1990s were inspired by my
in collecting art with his wife,
visits to Israel and especially the
an outgoing member of the
excavation sights which we saw
Graphic Arts Council of the -
then. They [have abstractions]
Detroit Institute of Arts.
because I wanted to catch the
"When we went to her studio,
soul of the land of our forefathers
we
saw she was multitalented
who had been living there.
and
does different kinds of
"Religion is important to me.
paintings using different color
It came gradually in the last five
Anna Lentsch: "[These] paintings from the early 1990s schemes and different brush
or six years. I wanted to find a
were inspired by my visits to Israel and especially the
stroke styles. We decided to
certain meaning in life, and we're excavation sights which we saw then. They have
donate one of her paintings,
observant at home."
abstractions] because I wanted to catch the soul of the
[of] a Torah mantle, to Temple
• Earth tones dominate the oil
land of our forefathers who had been living there."
Kol
Ami in memory of our par-
paintings that line the gallery
ents,
and we keep 12 catalogues
walls in West Bloomfield. Some
Israel, Museo Sefardi de Toledo in
of her work [from other exhibitions]
have the titles written along the sur-
Spain and Musee Juif de Belgique in
in our home."
face of the rendering. Others have
Belgium — comes to Michigan
Sharing sponsorship of this exhibit
writing that has no meaning but
because of the travels of Myrle and
are other Leland family members, Dr.
somehow emerged from artistic inven-
Richard Leland of West Bloomfield.
Barnet and Marcia Leland and Dr.
tion. A similar scrawl appears on
The couple, retired educators, spot-
Robert and Laura Leland, as well as
Lentsch's pieces with musical themes
ted some Lentsch paintings in a
the Jewish Historical Society of
or map representations.
Barcelona gallery, were told that the
Michigan, Manny and Natalie
"It's something that I do out of
painter was Jewish and went to her
Charach and Peoples State Bank.
emotion and intuition," she says. "I
studio to see more. After being invited
When Myrle and Richard Leland
don't really know why. It just seems to
for Shabbat dinner, the Lelands and
visited the artist's studio, they found
fit."
the artist's family developed a continu-
themselves in a converted wine shop
Lentsch's work — represented in the
ing friendship, and the idea for the
just
outside the artist's home.
collections of the Herzliya Museum in
local exhibit emerged from that.

