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Itamar Jobani, Man Holding a Child, 2009 | | |
Itamar Jobani: Wounded Topographies
January 24 - February 28, 2009
Andrea Meislin Gallery is pleased to present Wounded Topographies, an exhibition by New York-based artist Itamar Jobani. Wounded Topographies is Jobani's first solo exhibition since joining Andrea Meislin Gallery and will display large-scale installations alongside smaller sculptural works. An opening reception for the artist will be held from 6 - 8 pm on Saturday January 24th.
Blending mythologies from multiple traditions, Itamar Jobani always arrives at a conclusion uniquely his own. Adapting the technique of building topographic models to depict the human body, the very foundation of Jobani's work speaks to the deep confluence between bodies of land and the bodies of men. Indeed in the Hebrew translation, the words for land (adama) and man (adam) are very similar. Jobani's installation Blood, Man, Earth explores this basic connection between the words as well as the larger idea of the land taking on the pain and suffering of mankind.
Narcissus, the largest sculptural element in the exhibition, draws on the Greek tale of a man so taken by his reflection in a pool of water that he falls into the water and drowns. Jobani has taken this cautionary tale and turned it into a meditation on contemporary society. Here Narcissus is not merely a figure peering into the water; instead, through interactive video technology, each viewer sees his or her own likeness in the pool of water. Reflecting on a contemporary thirst for reality found in everything from television programs to news footage capturing the violence and spilt blood whenever a new tragedy arises, Jobani asks each viewer to consider the price of our collective narcissism.
Another of Jobani's large installations, Lilith, hails from a variety of ancient mythologies. According to one tradition, God created Lilith out of the earth in the same manner as Adam, preceding Eve as the first woman. Lilith has been remembered mainly as a seductive figure preying on the lives of babies, including her own. Depicting her in the form of a topographic model, Jobani has created an Unholy Land or the Bad Mother Land.
Another sculpture, titled Gift Land, displays a life-size adult torso and arms emerging from a wall to lift up a child. Speaking again to the idea of sacrifice, the work references both Abraham offering Isaac to God as well as the Pietà image of Mary cradling Jesus. In addition to these larger works, several smaller sculptures will also be on display to provide insight into the way in which Jobani creates his works.
Itamar Jobani has been identified as one of the most promising young artists coming out of Israel today. Since moving to New York to continue his studies at the Pratt Institute, his work has been exhibited in a broader and more international context. Jobani received much acclaim for his solo exhibition at the Herzliya Biennale in 2007 and he was awarded a solo exhibition at the prestigious VOLTA New York contemporary art fair in 2008. For more information on Itamar Jobani please contact the gallery.
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