Curatorial Statement for On the Consequences of Hate Speech III
The artwork for this exhibition was chosen to fulfill two main requirements: to be both visually arresting and conceptually compelling while relating to the subject of hate speech. It is our pleasure to present work which meets those goals while also ranging over a wide range of opinion and expression.
Whether represented by a single work or by multiple works, the viewer will be drawn in to each artist’s visual statement about an aspect of hate speech: its definition and consequences, its victims and perpetrators, its history and ubiquity, and the responses of loving-kindness, education and seeking a spiritual power to cope.
Every artist created her/his work out of a personal connection to hate speech and has sent accompanying text to explain their approach. Their passion is evident in the art, and we know viewers will respond with their own feelings and stories which will stimulate their thinking about how to take action in a world presently awash in hate speech.
Nancy Current
Robin Atlas
Curators
Ruth Waters
“Demagogue”
Definition:
Demagogue. 1: a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
Synonym: a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent: “that politician is just a demagogue who preys upon people's fears and prejudices”
Demagogues have ascended to power in communities, religions, and countries throughout history and around the world. No group of humans is immune (can’t speak for the animal kingdom).
Thinking about the phenomenon and its ubiquity, the only common thread seems to be an abnormal craving for power. And – not to raise a loaded question, but – have we ever heard of a female demagogue? Is this actually a testosterone-fueled phenomenon? Will this pattern change as women are gradually allowed into positions of power?
Enough of the theorizing – this sculpture, hand-carved in a black walnut log, condemns the demagogue as “sees nothing, hears nothing, yells a lot, no brain”. (The “no brain” aspect of the sculpture occurred because the core of the log was rotten and full of termites.)
“Demagogue”
Definition:
Demagogue. 1: a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
Synonym: a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent: “that politician is just a demagogue who preys upon people's fears and prejudices”
Demagogues have ascended to power in communities, religions, and countries throughout history and around the world. No group of humans is immune (can’t speak for the animal kingdom).
Thinking about the phenomenon and its ubiquity, the only common thread seems to be an abnormal craving for power. And – not to raise a loaded question, but – have we ever heard of a female demagogue? Is this actually a testosterone-fueled phenomenon? Will this pattern change as women are gradually allowed into positions of power?
Enough of the theorizing – this sculpture, hand-carved in a black walnut log, condemns the demagogue as “sees nothing, hears nothing, yells a lot, no brain”. (The “no brain” aspect of the sculpture occurred because the core of the log was rotten and full of termites.)
Vitaly Umansky
Facebook Rage
When I drew Facebook Rage I was ingulfed in all the fury that swept the country few years ago, and kept (and still largely) keeping the country in this fury. The picture shows how any person, however calm, can succumb to this fury, this Facebook rage. In the past few years of watching people on social media, and watching myself surrender to its pull, I realized that this shared and augmented anger and arrogance is a narcotic, it is addictive, and it is very unhealthy. To break away from it, one must realize that. Realize that social media (facebook, twitter, whichever is your poison) is first and foremost – a drug. That’s a realization that should allow you to facebook responsibly. This image explores a hypothetical scenario of a person who went too deep into that rabbit hole, substituting reality entirely with what he sees on his screen. His way of breaking with the screen is to act on his rage in a real world.
Facebook Rage
When I drew Facebook Rage I was ingulfed in all the fury that swept the country few years ago, and kept (and still largely) keeping the country in this fury. The picture shows how any person, however calm, can succumb to this fury, this Facebook rage. In the past few years of watching people on social media, and watching myself surrender to its pull, I realized that this shared and augmented anger and arrogance is a narcotic, it is addictive, and it is very unhealthy. To break away from it, one must realize that. Realize that social media (facebook, twitter, whichever is your poison) is first and foremost – a drug. That’s a realization that should allow you to facebook responsibly. This image explores a hypothetical scenario of a person who went too deep into that rabbit hole, substituting reality entirely with what he sees on his screen. His way of breaking with the screen is to act on his rage in a real world.
Joel Silverstein
Miriam, 2018
Acrylic on canvas
24” x18”
Miriam depicts the Biblical Prophet and sister to Moses and Aaron. Her crisis is told in the Book of Numbers, 12:1-16 when she and Aaron confront Moses upon his marrying a Cushite woman. As a punishment, God strickens Miriam with Leprosy for seven days. The Rabbi’s see this as an extreme example of Lashon Hara, a grave sin. Was Miriam rightly punished, or ultimately wronged? Did it have to do with the nature of her speech, spiritual proximity to God, or dare we say it, her unique position as a female Prophet?
Miriam, 2018
Acrylic on canvas
24” x18”
Miriam depicts the Biblical Prophet and sister to Moses and Aaron. Her crisis is told in the Book of Numbers, 12:1-16 when she and Aaron confront Moses upon his marrying a Cushite woman. As a punishment, God strickens Miriam with Leprosy for seven days. The Rabbi’s see this as an extreme example of Lashon Hara, a grave sin. Was Miriam rightly punished, or ultimately wronged? Did it have to do with the nature of her speech, spiritual proximity to God, or dare we say it, her unique position as a female Prophet?
Phillip Schwartz
Emaciated Woman at the Liberation of Bergen-Belsen.
Size: 30” x 24”
Dye Sublimation Print on Aluminum.
Emaciated Woman at the Liberation of Bergen-Belsen.
Size: 30” x 24”
Dye Sublimation Print on Aluminum.
Flora Rosefsky
GRASSROOTS no. 3
2019
paper cutout collage
11 x 14”
GRASSROOTS no. 3
2019
paper cutout collage
11 x 14”
Flora Rosefsky
GRASSROOTS no. 2
2019
paper cutout collage
11 x 14”
GRASSROOTS no. 2
2019
paper cutout collage
11 x 14”
Flora Rosefsky
GRASSROOTS no. 1
2019
paper cutout collage
11 x 14”
GRASSROOTS no. 1
2019
paper cutout collage
11 x 14”
The Final Steps
Leah Raab
2018
acrylic on board
12" x 9"
Hitler used words to propagate negative feelings and false beliefs about Jews. The Holocaust began with poisonous speech and lead to outright hatred, abuse and systematic destruction. My paintings of the shoes scream of the many murdered in this spot. My paintings are a memorial to the Jews who were lined up at the river’s edge and shot into the Danube and to my own family members in Hungary who were brutally murdered by the Nazis.
Leah Raab
2018
acrylic on board
12" x 9"
Hitler used words to propagate negative feelings and false beliefs about Jews. The Holocaust began with poisonous speech and lead to outright hatred, abuse and systematic destruction. My paintings of the shoes scream of the many murdered in this spot. My paintings are a memorial to the Jews who were lined up at the river’s edge and shot into the Danube and to my own family members in Hungary who were brutally murdered by the Nazis.
Leah Raab
Left Behind
2018
acrylic on board
12" x 9"
Left Behind
2018
acrylic on board
12" x 9"
Leah Raab
Lost Souls
2018
acrylic on board
9" x 12"
Lost Souls
2018
acrylic on board
9" x 12"
Nancy Current
In Seeking Wisdom, the Third Step is Remembering
2018
digital print of glass painting on plexiglass
30.5" x 16.5"
What do we remember learning about how to speak to one another from those who guided us when we were young?
In Seeking Wisdom, the Third Step is Remembering
2018
digital print of glass painting on plexiglass
30.5" x 16.5"
What do we remember learning about how to speak to one another from those who guided us when we were young?
Nancy Current
Teach Us to Apply Our Hearts to Wisdom
2018
digital print of glass painting on plexiglass
27" x 16"
If we apply our hearts to how we speak to others, we will treat each other with kindness and respect.
Teach Us to Apply Our Hearts to Wisdom
2018
digital print of glass painting on plexiglass
27" x 16"
If we apply our hearts to how we speak to others, we will treat each other with kindness and respect.
Nancy Current
In Seeking Wisdom, the Second Step is Listening
2018
digital print of glass painting on plexiglass
24" x 13"
Adults lead by example, illustrating respect for others by listening to children.
In Seeking Wisdom, the Second Step is Listening
2018
digital print of glass painting on plexiglass
24" x 13"
Adults lead by example, illustrating respect for others by listening to children.
Nancy Current
In Seeking Wisdom, the Fourth Step is Practicing
2018
digital print of glass painting on plexiglass
25.5" x 18"
We do not always respond to others as we would like, but from that we learn how to do better next time.
In Seeking Wisdom, the Fourth Step is Practicing
2018
digital print of glass painting on plexiglass
25.5" x 18"
We do not always respond to others as we would like, but from that we learn how to do better next time.
Nancy Current
In Seeking Wisdom, the First Step Is Silence
2018
digital print of glass painting on plexiglass
27" x 16.5"
The wisdom of our ancestors is our heritage; it is a resource to help us teach our children how to speak with loving kindness.
In Seeking Wisdom, the First Step Is Silence
2018
digital print of glass painting on plexiglass
27" x 16.5"
The wisdom of our ancestors is our heritage; it is a resource to help us teach our children how to speak with loving kindness.
Nancy Current
In Seeking Wisdom, the Fifth Step is Teaching Others
2018
digital print of glass painting on plexiglass
24" x 13"
Learning goes both ways, and teachers always learn from their students.
In Seeking Wisdom, the Fifth Step is Teaching Others
2018
digital print of glass painting on plexiglass
24" x 13"
Learning goes both ways, and teachers always learn from their students.
Noa Liran
Break and Mend
Sticks and stones will break my bones and words will also hurt me.
Hate speech will leave its mark; will leave us torn, scratched, bruised. Love speech will help us mend, put the pieces together again.
But the scar will always show. Repair gives us strength, resilience, new shapes of beauty envelop the break, as the scar becomes an integral part of our whole being. Each of the brooches and rings I created is a complete object, despite its visible breaks. The breaks are the ornamental decorations, which give each piece its unique individual character.
Break and Mend
Sticks and stones will break my bones and words will also hurt me.
Hate speech will leave its mark; will leave us torn, scratched, bruised. Love speech will help us mend, put the pieces together again.
But the scar will always show. Repair gives us strength, resilience, new shapes of beauty envelop the break, as the scar becomes an integral part of our whole being. Each of the brooches and rings I created is a complete object, despite its visible breaks. The breaks are the ornamental decorations, which give each piece its unique individual character.
Noa Liran
Break and Mend
Break and Mend
Nazanin Hedayat Munroe
“Rudabeh” 2018
Digital drawing on archival color pigment print on 100% cotton rag
20” x 24” framed
Literary Source: Shahnama (Book of Kings) by Ferdowsi (1010 AD)
Character background: Rudabeh was the mother of the Herculean folk hero, Rostam. She had a difficult pregnancy and delivery with the elephantine child, and her husband called on a mythical bird, the Simorgh, for assistance. The bird gave him instructions for delivering the child via C-section and a magic feather that would heal his wife after the surgery. This 15th century painting of an unnamed Safavid woman is wearing an overcoat woven with a gold Simorgh pattern in the design.
“Rudabeh” 2018
Digital drawing on archival color pigment print on 100% cotton rag
20” x 24” framed
Literary Source: Shahnama (Book of Kings) by Ferdowsi (1010 AD)
Character background: Rudabeh was the mother of the Herculean folk hero, Rostam. She had a difficult pregnancy and delivery with the elephantine child, and her husband called on a mythical bird, the Simorgh, for assistance. The bird gave him instructions for delivering the child via C-section and a magic feather that would heal his wife after the surgery. This 15th century painting of an unnamed Safavid woman is wearing an overcoat woven with a gold Simorgh pattern in the design.
Nazanin Hedayat Munroe
“Layli” 2018
Digital drawing on archival color pigment print on 100% cotton rag
20” x 24” framed
Literary Source: Laylā and Majnūn by Nizāmi (1188 AD)
“Layli” 2018
Digital drawing on archival color pigment print on 100% cotton rag
20” x 24” framed
Literary Source: Laylā and Majnūn by Nizāmi (1188 AD)
“No Place To Glean”
Pearl Kruss
2018
digitalprint on acrylic
16"x 32"
“No Place To Glean” is a biblical reference. Hate speech causes divides in nations. Shelter less refugees wander in search of food and friendlier borders. Women unprotected, fall prey to famine and rape.
Pearl Kruss
2018
digitalprint on acrylic
16"x 32"
“No Place To Glean” is a biblical reference. Hate speech causes divides in nations. Shelter less refugees wander in search of food and friendlier borders. Women unprotected, fall prey to famine and rape.
“Goya’s Wars”
Pearl Kruss
2019
digitalprint on acrylic
24" x 36"
Francis Goya painted “May 1808”, a reaction to Napoleon’s suppression of Spain. This is a time machine version connecting the past to the present. This is hostility to the “other”.
Pearl Kruss
2019
digitalprint on acrylic
24" x 36"
Francis Goya painted “May 1808”, a reaction to Napoleon’s suppression of Spain. This is a time machine version connecting the past to the present. This is hostility to the “other”.
SOS
Tamar Hirschl
2018
acrylic on canvas
20" x 24"
Tamar Hirschl
2018
acrylic on canvas
20" x 24"
May I Have This Dance?
Aaron Koster
Pastels, 11 x 17
Hostility against the Jewish people date back nearly as far as Jewish history itself.
We’ve been chased after by the best of them.
Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Russians, Nazis, to name a few.
Nazi concentration camps systematically murdered roughly 6 million European
Jews in what would become known as the Holocaust.
They keep trying to extinguish us. Is it destined that they will keep trying?
Will it never end? It seems to me like an elegant, macabre dance.
Destiny’s dance. If they continue to want to destroy us, they’ll have to get in line.
Aaron Koster
Pastels, 11 x 17
Hostility against the Jewish people date back nearly as far as Jewish history itself.
We’ve been chased after by the best of them.
Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Russians, Nazis, to name a few.
Nazi concentration camps systematically murdered roughly 6 million European
Jews in what would become known as the Holocaust.
They keep trying to extinguish us. Is it destined that they will keep trying?
Will it never end? It seems to me like an elegant, macabre dance.
Destiny’s dance. If they continue to want to destroy us, they’ll have to get in line.
Urim & Tumim 7
Acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16", 2017
Yona Verwer + Katarzyna Kozera
In these collaborative works by Katarzyna Kozera and Yona Verwer the Urim and Tumim are presented as the antidote to hate speech: a direct connection with a higher source. The Urim and Tumim were part of a biblical tool of prophecy known as “The Breastplate of Judgment.” In Biblical times, during war and national crisis, this breastplate was worn and consulted by the Jewish High Priest. Upon meditation, individual letters would sparkle to display prophetic messages: text messages from above! These talismanic devices guide us to a more elevated way of living / speaking.
Acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16", 2017
Yona Verwer + Katarzyna Kozera
In these collaborative works by Katarzyna Kozera and Yona Verwer the Urim and Tumim are presented as the antidote to hate speech: a direct connection with a higher source. The Urim and Tumim were part of a biblical tool of prophecy known as “The Breastplate of Judgment.” In Biblical times, during war and national crisis, this breastplate was worn and consulted by the Jewish High Priest. Upon meditation, individual letters would sparkle to display prophetic messages: text messages from above! These talismanic devices guide us to a more elevated way of living / speaking.
Tamar Hirschl
Critical Current
2018
mixed media on vinyl
25" x 39"
Critical Current
2018
mixed media on vinyl
25" x 39"
Adrift
Tamar Hirschl
2018
acrylic on canvas
24" x 20"
Tamar Hirschl
2018
acrylic on canvas
24" x 20"
Maxine Hess
Sonya King
2019
Mosaic Fiber Art, thread painting, free motion machine stitching
30 x 29 inches
Hate, fear, and divisiveness have escalated towards people of different race, color, ethnicity, and religious practices. Sonya King was delivering food to a customer for Door Dash when the customer grabbed her head scarf and began strangling her. Fortunately, she was able to fight the customer off. This artwork is the second in a series about hate crimes resulting from hate speech. My intention is to create portraits of hate crime victims to encourage dialogue about how to change the focus from berating and belittling people who may look different from others to accepting and appreciating differences.
Sonya King
2019
Mosaic Fiber Art, thread painting, free motion machine stitching
30 x 29 inches
Hate, fear, and divisiveness have escalated towards people of different race, color, ethnicity, and religious practices. Sonya King was delivering food to a customer for Door Dash when the customer grabbed her head scarf and began strangling her. Fortunately, she was able to fight the customer off. This artwork is the second in a series about hate crimes resulting from hate speech. My intention is to create portraits of hate crime victims to encourage dialogue about how to change the focus from berating and belittling people who may look different from others to accepting and appreciating differences.
Maxine Hess
In Memory of My Dad
2018
Mosaic Fiber Art overlaid with original poem printed on silk organza, thread painting, free motion machine stitching
37 x 25.5 inches
In Judaism there is a saying when a person dies, “May his/her memory be a blessing.” Hate speech often leads to hate crimes. In 1969 my father was murdered. It was a story of race and loss, mine and my family’s, that continues to shape me and my art to this day. I wrote the poem to remember my father, to say the things I didn’t get to say to him before he died, and to heal. I want him to know I will never forget him and that I love him.
In Memory of My Dad
2018
Mosaic Fiber Art overlaid with original poem printed on silk organza, thread painting, free motion machine stitching
37 x 25.5 inches
In Judaism there is a saying when a person dies, “May his/her memory be a blessing.” Hate speech often leads to hate crimes. In 1969 my father was murdered. It was a story of race and loss, mine and my family’s, that continues to shape me and my art to this day. I wrote the poem to remember my father, to say the things I didn’t get to say to him before he died, and to heal. I want him to know I will never forget him and that I love him.
Maxine Hess
In Memory of My Dad - Detail
2018
Mosaic Fiber Art overlaid with original poem printed on silk organza, thread painting, free motion machine stitching
37 x 25.5 inches
In Memory of My Dad - Detail
2018
Mosaic Fiber Art overlaid with original poem printed on silk organza, thread painting, free motion machine stitching
37 x 25.5 inches
No Words
Beth Haber
The slippage between cause and consequence begins with language, its corruption. Its failure or its efficacy. This text of a passage from Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” addresses the failure to realize the consequential moment when a difference might be made. The layers of “no” have been struck with the hammer of a typewriter c1940, which elicits an energy of action not available in the silent type of a computer. They are then digitally enlarged, and as red lines get mingled with black type, a chorus of refusal seeks an alertness in a real consequential time.
Beth Haber
The slippage between cause and consequence begins with language, its corruption. Its failure or its efficacy. This text of a passage from Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” addresses the failure to realize the consequential moment when a difference might be made. The layers of “no” have been struck with the hammer of a typewriter c1940, which elicits an energy of action not available in the silent type of a computer. They are then digitally enlarged, and as red lines get mingled with black type, a chorus of refusal seeks an alertness in a real consequential time.
No Words
Beth Haber
Beth Haber
fabric mixed media
19.5 x 10”
2002
A hate message was broadcast over the radio to the masses during the Rwandan killings. This piece is from my installation of children, representing the evacuation of some, but not all.
19.5 x 10”
2002
A hate message was broadcast over the radio to the masses during the Rwandan killings. This piece is from my installation of children, representing the evacuation of some, but not all.
metal mixed media
10 x 7 x 7”
2019
You really do need to think before you speak.
10 x 7 x 7”
2019
You really do need to think before you speak.
"The Golem of Charlottesville"
Shoshannah Brombacher
12 X 18 inches, pastel and India ink on paper, 2017
A Golem is an artificial strong force or homunculus which was created to protect its community and occurs in Jewish (folk)stories. This golem is my artistic reaction to the riots in Charlottesville. Racists, antisemites, the KKK, white suprematists and others promoted abject ideas that split unity and harmony in this world. They marched the streets with their flags and chants and -chutzpah!- initially were given only half of the blame for the riots. We need to stand up, unite, and be a Golem against this kind of bigotry!
Shoshannah Brombacher
12 X 18 inches, pastel and India ink on paper, 2017
A Golem is an artificial strong force or homunculus which was created to protect its community and occurs in Jewish (folk)stories. This golem is my artistic reaction to the riots in Charlottesville. Racists, antisemites, the KKK, white suprematists and others promoted abject ideas that split unity and harmony in this world. They marched the streets with their flags and chants and -chutzpah!- initially were given only half of the blame for the riots. We need to stand up, unite, and be a Golem against this kind of bigotry!
Liberté (Freedom)
Shosannah Brombacher
2015
pastel and India ink on paper
18" x 24"
This drawing is my spontaneous reaction after hearing about the vile attack by Islamist terrorists on the office of the French satirical magazine Hebdo which left several people dead. Although both Hebdo with its satire and those terrorists inspired by hate speech against western civilization have a right to express themselves in our free world, it is a good idea to contemplate what the consequences of speech can be. Murder and intolerance inspired by hate speech are always and everywhere wrong.
Shosannah Brombacher
2015
pastel and India ink on paper
18" x 24"
This drawing is my spontaneous reaction after hearing about the vile attack by Islamist terrorists on the office of the French satirical magazine Hebdo which left several people dead. Although both Hebdo with its satire and those terrorists inspired by hate speech against western civilization have a right to express themselves in our free world, it is a good idea to contemplate what the consequences of speech can be. Murder and intolerance inspired by hate speech are always and everywhere wrong.
Nazanin Hedayat Munroe
Struggle
Based on my historic research of Islamic inscribed clothing as a talismanic device, these garments represent a psycho-spiritual armor. For this exhibition, I have created two garments: one with electronic elements and lighting, and one without. After many years of working by hand in my studio, and working with digital art for the fashion/design industry, I have been experimenting with bringing these two practices together. The fabrics are designed on the computer and digitally printed, but I still construct my garments by hand. The LED Wearables are also stitched by hand with conductive thread.
Struggle
Based on my historic research of Islamic inscribed clothing as a talismanic device, these garments represent a psycho-spiritual armor. For this exhibition, I have created two garments: one with electronic elements and lighting, and one without. After many years of working by hand in my studio, and working with digital art for the fashion/design industry, I have been experimenting with bringing these two practices together. The fabrics are designed on the computer and digitally printed, but I still construct my garments by hand. The LED Wearables are also stitched by hand with conductive thread.
Nazanin Hedayat Munroe
Serenity
Based on my historic research of Islamic inscribed clothing as a talismanic device, these garments represent a psycho-spiritual armor. For this exhibition, I have created two garments: one with electronic elements and lighting, and one without. After many years of working by hand in my studio, and working with digital art for the fashion/design industry, I have been experimenting with bringing these two practices together. The fabrics are designed on the computer and digitally printed, but I still construct my garments by hand. The LED Wearables are also stitched by hand with conductive thread.
Serenity
Based on my historic research of Islamic inscribed clothing as a talismanic device, these garments represent a psycho-spiritual armor. For this exhibition, I have created two garments: one with electronic elements and lighting, and one without. After many years of working by hand in my studio, and working with digital art for the fashion/design industry, I have been experimenting with bringing these two practices together. The fabrics are designed on the computer and digitally printed, but I still construct my garments by hand. The LED Wearables are also stitched by hand with conductive thread.
Robin Atlas
To the Winds/Red String
mixed media on fabric
9 ½” x 8”
This ancient Jewish ritual was conducted by the Kohens in order to restore one’s “spiritual” purity which had become “unclean” because of speaking Lashon Hara.
To the Winds/Red String
mixed media on fabric
9 ½” x 8”
This ancient Jewish ritual was conducted by the Kohens in order to restore one’s “spiritual” purity which had become “unclean” because of speaking Lashon Hara.
Robin Atlas
We Three
2011
mixed media on fabric
6 ¾” x 7”
The strong have a duty to protect the vulnerable from Lashon Hara.
We Three
2011
mixed media on fabric
6 ¾” x 7”
The strong have a duty to protect the vulnerable from Lashon Hara.
Robin Atlas
Tzara’at/Metzora
2012
mixed media on fabric
6 ¾” x 9”
A skin affliction associated with “spiritual” impurity. Miriam was afflicted after she spoke Lashon Hara about her brother Moses.
Tzara’at/Metzora
2012
mixed media on fabric
6 ¾” x 9”
A skin affliction associated with “spiritual” impurity. Miriam was afflicted after she spoke Lashon Hara about her brother Moses.
Robin Atlas
Whole Cloth
2011
mixed media on fabric
7 x 7 ½”
Finding our spiritual selves is a never-ending journey.
Whole Cloth
2011
mixed media on fabric
7 x 7 ½”
Finding our spiritual selves is a never-ending journey.
Robin Atlas
Three Murders
2012
mixed media on fabric
6 ¼” x 8 ¾”
Our sages tell us that Lashon Hara kills three souls; the soul of the speaker, the soul of the listener and the soul of the person being talked about.
Three Murders
2012
mixed media on fabric
6 ¼” x 8 ¾”
Our sages tell us that Lashon Hara kills three souls; the soul of the speaker, the soul of the listener and the soul of the person being talked about.
Robin Atlas
Thirty-One (31)
2012
mixed media on fabric
7 ½” x 7”
The Chofetz Chaim enumerated that there may be up to 31 mitzvot that could be violated when a person speaks or listens to Lashon Hara.
Thirty-One (31)
2012
mixed media on fabric
7 ½” x 7”
The Chofetz Chaim enumerated that there may be up to 31 mitzvot that could be violated when a person speaks or listens to Lashon Hara.
Robin Atlas
All Roads Lead To…
2011
mixed media on fabric
6 ¾” x 7 ½”
Everything is essentially taught by, and all roads lead back to, the Queen.
All Roads Lead To…
2011
mixed media on fabric
6 ¾” x 7 ½”
Everything is essentially taught by, and all roads lead back to, the Queen.
Robin Atlas
Rain (Leaning)
2011
mixed media on fabric
6 ¼” x 8 ½”
The road we travel is often uncertain and the path never straight, but as we struggle there will always be Chessed to be found along the way.
Rain (Leaning)
2011
mixed media on fabric
6 ¼” x 8 ½”
The road we travel is often uncertain and the path never straight, but as we struggle there will always be Chessed to be found along the way.
Robin Atlas
Protect
2011
mixed media on fabric
6 ½” x 7 ½”
The Queen stands tall with her crown of Lashon Hara. Her role is to protect hearth and home, but when she speaks Lashon Hara, that protection is broken.
Protect
2011
mixed media on fabric
6 ½” x 7 ½”
The Queen stands tall with her crown of Lashon Hara. Her role is to protect hearth and home, but when she speaks Lashon Hara, that protection is broken.
Robin Atlas
Mending
2011
mixed media on fabric
8 ¾” x 6 ½”
Harsh words that often sear one’s soul will scar and heal over time, but it’s important to fill those voids with Chessed.
Mending
2011
mixed media on fabric
8 ¾” x 6 ½”
Harsh words that often sear one’s soul will scar and heal over time, but it’s important to fill those voids with Chessed.
Robin Atlas
Eruv
2018
muslin with hand and machine embroidery
2.5" x 100'
Eruv is a recent addition to the narrative Lashon Hara/OCHS. Traditionally, the eruv surrounds a certain defined area and especially on Shabbat, creates a safe space and continuity of community and connectivity of a larger area. On Shabbat the eruv allows an entire disparate community to turn into one family.
Toying with the idea of connectivity and safe spaces, the Eruv I have created is intended to wrap around the interior of a room; high on the wall near the ceiling mimicking its more traditional kin. All who dwell in this defined space become family and the space becomes an edifice of safety, protected by the community who also dwell within its walls and by Hashem.
Each strip is decorated with a continuous chain of embroidery and are stitched together with embroidered patches with the letter “e”. “e” becomes the new universal symbol of safety, and protection and also plays on the letter shin which in cursive Hebrew is similar to the “e” in English and a reference to the divine.
Eruv
2018
muslin with hand and machine embroidery
2.5" x 100'
Eruv is a recent addition to the narrative Lashon Hara/OCHS. Traditionally, the eruv surrounds a certain defined area and especially on Shabbat, creates a safe space and continuity of community and connectivity of a larger area. On Shabbat the eruv allows an entire disparate community to turn into one family.
Toying with the idea of connectivity and safe spaces, the Eruv I have created is intended to wrap around the interior of a room; high on the wall near the ceiling mimicking its more traditional kin. All who dwell in this defined space become family and the space becomes an edifice of safety, protected by the community who also dwell within its walls and by Hashem.
Each strip is decorated with a continuous chain of embroidery and are stitched together with embroidered patches with the letter “e”. “e” becomes the new universal symbol of safety, and protection and also plays on the letter shin which in cursive Hebrew is similar to the “e” in English and a reference to the divine.
Robin Atlas
Feather Pillow
2012
mixed media on fabric
10” x 8”
A Pillow Full of Feathers
In a small town somewhere in Eastern Europe lived a man who talked too much about other people. Whenever he heard a story or a rumor about someone, he felt compelled to repeat it. He loved the attention he got because of the way he told his anecdotes, sometimes embellishing them with little details he invented to make them even funnier or juicier.
One day he heard a rumor about another businessman in town. He told his colleagues, who told it to their friends, who told it to their wives, who told it to their friends, who told it to their neighbors and so on; going around the town, until the businessman who was the target finally heard it.
He went to the Rabbi of the town and told the Rabbi of the rumor going around – which had tarnished his good name and reputation. Later that day the Rabbi summoned the man who talked too much about other people to his study. The Rabbi figured that if he was not the initiator of the rumor then he might know who was.
In the Rabbi’s study, the man who talked too much about other people heard the devastating effect the rumor had on his neighbor and he admitted relating this rumor to others. He told the Rabbi he didn’t consider it a “big deal at the time” to repeat something unkind about another individual. The Rabbi explained that it is lashon hara, evil speech and, it’s akin to committing murder because it kills a person’s soul.
“I feel terrible about this,” the man who talked to much about other people stated. “What can I do to undo this? I’ll do anything.” The Rabbi then asked him: “Do you have any feather pillows in your house?” The man replied, “Rabbi, you know I am not a poor man; I have many feather pillows at my home. What do you want me to do, sell them?” “No, just bring me one,” said the Rabbi. The man was mystified, but he returned to the Rabbi’s study with a nice fluffy pillow under his arm. The Rabbi opened a window in his study and handed the man a knife and said, “please cut your pillow open.” The man looked at him quizzically and said, “Rabbi? Here? In your study? It will make a mess!” But the Rabbi insisted, “please cut it open” he said.
The man did as he was told and cut open the pillow and a torrent of feathers came pouring out. They landed on the desk and on the chairs and on the bookcase, and on the clock, and onto the cat which jumped after them. They floated over the table and into the teacups, on the Rabbi and on the man, who was who was holding the knife; and a lot of them just swirled out the window and were carried away by the breeze.
The Rabbi waited until the last feather settled and then said to the man: “Now, gather up the feathers and stuff them back into your pillow. All of them. Mind you, not one may be missing.” The man stood and stared at the Rabbi in utter disbelief and said, “That’s impossible, Rabbi. The ones in the room, well yes, maybe I might be able to get most of them, but the ones that flew out the window are gone forever.
“Yes,” said the Rabbi nodding gravely, “that is how it is once lashon hara leaves your mouth; you do not know where it will end up. It flies around the universe on the wings of the wind, and you can never get it back!”
Feather Pillow
2012
mixed media on fabric
10” x 8”
A Pillow Full of Feathers
In a small town somewhere in Eastern Europe lived a man who talked too much about other people. Whenever he heard a story or a rumor about someone, he felt compelled to repeat it. He loved the attention he got because of the way he told his anecdotes, sometimes embellishing them with little details he invented to make them even funnier or juicier.
One day he heard a rumor about another businessman in town. He told his colleagues, who told it to their friends, who told it to their wives, who told it to their friends, who told it to their neighbors and so on; going around the town, until the businessman who was the target finally heard it.
He went to the Rabbi of the town and told the Rabbi of the rumor going around – which had tarnished his good name and reputation. Later that day the Rabbi summoned the man who talked too much about other people to his study. The Rabbi figured that if he was not the initiator of the rumor then he might know who was.
In the Rabbi’s study, the man who talked too much about other people heard the devastating effect the rumor had on his neighbor and he admitted relating this rumor to others. He told the Rabbi he didn’t consider it a “big deal at the time” to repeat something unkind about another individual. The Rabbi explained that it is lashon hara, evil speech and, it’s akin to committing murder because it kills a person’s soul.
“I feel terrible about this,” the man who talked to much about other people stated. “What can I do to undo this? I’ll do anything.” The Rabbi then asked him: “Do you have any feather pillows in your house?” The man replied, “Rabbi, you know I am not a poor man; I have many feather pillows at my home. What do you want me to do, sell them?” “No, just bring me one,” said the Rabbi. The man was mystified, but he returned to the Rabbi’s study with a nice fluffy pillow under his arm. The Rabbi opened a window in his study and handed the man a knife and said, “please cut your pillow open.” The man looked at him quizzically and said, “Rabbi? Here? In your study? It will make a mess!” But the Rabbi insisted, “please cut it open” he said.
The man did as he was told and cut open the pillow and a torrent of feathers came pouring out. They landed on the desk and on the chairs and on the bookcase, and on the clock, and onto the cat which jumped after them. They floated over the table and into the teacups, on the Rabbi and on the man, who was who was holding the knife; and a lot of them just swirled out the window and were carried away by the breeze.
The Rabbi waited until the last feather settled and then said to the man: “Now, gather up the feathers and stuff them back into your pillow. All of them. Mind you, not one may be missing.” The man stood and stared at the Rabbi in utter disbelief and said, “That’s impossible, Rabbi. The ones in the room, well yes, maybe I might be able to get most of them, but the ones that flew out the window are gone forever.
“Yes,” said the Rabbi nodding gravely, “that is how it is once lashon hara leaves your mouth; you do not know where it will end up. It flies around the universe on the wings of the wind, and you can never get it back!”
Robin Atlas
Words, words, words, words, words
2011
mixed media on fabric
6 ¾” x 6 ¾”
It’s been said that the Bird of Heaven carries the sounds of Lashon Hara to the heavens; where the angels then testify before Hashem.
Words, words, words, words, words
2011
mixed media on fabric
6 ¾” x 6 ¾”
It’s been said that the Bird of Heaven carries the sounds of Lashon Hara to the heavens; where the angels then testify before Hashem.
Robin Atlas
L’Dor Vador
2011
6 ½” x 6 ¼”
Lashon Hara is passed down from generation to generation.
L’Dor Vador
2011
6 ½” x 6 ¼”
Lashon Hara is passed down from generation to generation.
Robin Atlas
Lashon Hara
2012
mixed media on fabric
7” x 8”
Lashon Hara
2012
mixed media on fabric
7” x 8”
Robin Atlas
Measure for Measure
2012
mixed media on fabric
7 ½” x 8 ½”
It has been written that Hashem repays a person’s actions and deeds “measure for measure” in the world to come.
Measure for Measure
2012
mixed media on fabric
7 ½” x 8 ½”
It has been written that Hashem repays a person’s actions and deeds “measure for measure” in the world to come.
Robin Atlas
Chofetz Chaim
2012
mixed media on fabric
7” x 7 ¾”
Rabbi Israel Meir (HaKohen) Kagan (1838 – 1933). Also known as the Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Kagan wrote the definitive works on Lashon Hara; the Sefer Chofetz Chaim and Sh’mirat HaLashon, among others.
Chofetz Chaim
2012
mixed media on fabric
7” x 7 ¾”
Rabbi Israel Meir (HaKohen) Kagan (1838 – 1933). Also known as the Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Kagan wrote the definitive works on Lashon Hara; the Sefer Chofetz Chaim and Sh’mirat HaLashon, among others.
Robin Atlas
In the Garden of Good and Evil (Chilul Hashem)
2012
mixed media on fabric
7 ½” x 9 ¼”
Lashon Hara is represented as the diseased tree of life; the seeds fall to the ground and new pods of Lashon Hara spout and grow season after season (l’dor vador).
In the Garden of Good and Evil (Chilul Hashem)
2012
mixed media on fabric
7 ½” x 9 ¼”
Lashon Hara is represented as the diseased tree of life; the seeds fall to the ground and new pods of Lashon Hara spout and grow season after season (l’dor vador).
Robin Atlas
Chessed
2012
mixed media on fabric
7 ¼” x 8”
It may be hard to find in the darkest of times, but the Chessed is there if you look for it.
Chessed
2012
mixed media on fabric
7 ¼” x 8”
It may be hard to find in the darkest of times, but the Chessed is there if you look for it.
Robin Atlas
Bomb
2011
mixed media on fabric
6 ¾” x 7 ½”
A fantasized bomb of loving kindness (Chessed).
Bomb
2011
mixed media on fabric
6 ¾” x 7 ½”
A fantasized bomb of loving kindness (Chessed).
Robin Atas
B’fnei Shlosha
2012
mixed media on fabric
7” x 8”
A more nebulous area of halachic law which debates whether gossip is gossip (Lashon Hara), if spoken in front of three persons.
B’fnei Shlosha
2012
mixed media on fabric
7” x 8”
A more nebulous area of halachic law which debates whether gossip is gossip (Lashon Hara), if spoken in front of three persons.