JEWISH ART NOW
By
Elke Reva Sudin
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| "Sumi Ink on Arches Hot Press Paper″ |
NEW YORK---There are two ways people typically explore Hasidic subjects through art. It is either a sensitive portrayal of a tradition they are a part of, or an outsider’s perspective on a strange and unique culture. Brooklyn based artist
Michael Levin has done both, and quite successfully at that. In his new series “
Jews of Today” opening July 20th at the
7 Dunham in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Levin explores the nuances and contradictions of Hasidic ritual dress through a series of elegant drawings and explanations, delving into larger issues of Jewishness and cultural identity in the process. [
link]
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The book will not be the end of his exploration into this community: Levin said there are many more facets and questions he aims to explore.
“The women’s side of the equation is something I want to deal with in the future,” Levin said, but emphasized the personal self-reflective nature of this book, saying he never wanted to approach it “with the responsibility an ethnographer would have about being even-handed.”