In the hallway of the building which hosts the Litvak Gallery part of the space is used for other exhibitions which can be seen as introducing the visitor into the art shows atmosphere. These are free, so even if you do not want to pay or you cannot allow the relatively high entry price to the Chihuly glass exhibition for example you can still enjoy the art exposed here.
Together
The current exhibition there belongs to artist Orna Ben Ami, who makes iron sculptures. If there is something different or even opposite to glass as art material it’s iron the the counterpoint is extreme. About Orna we ca learn something from her Web site at http://www.ornabenami.com/default-en.aspx. She must be in her 50s, studied History and Political Sciences at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and seems to have gotten to art quite late, while living in the US
Memories
If the material is hard to master, her style is unexpectedly light, humorous, familiar. The objects are big and the material may be intimidating, but you can imagine very easily the same works at smaller dimensions or different media.
Roots
There is irony and tenderness in works like ‘Together’ or ‘The Rag Doll’ …
Rag Doll
… social commentaries in ‘Memories’ or ‘The Chairman’ …
The Chairman
… and deeper meanings in a piece like ‘Roots’.
In her work Orna Ben Ami succeeds to make a presumably hostile material close to our souls and capable or creating emotion. No easy task, but she succeeds, and what can an artist ask more?
it would be interesting to have the possibility to appreciate the real dimensions of the works … For The chairman it is quite possible, but not for the others.
I prefere Together, it is really a perfect idea, in a perfect shape, very impressive.
You are right, blame the photographer. ‘Together’ is the size of a real bench in a park, ‘Memories’ is almost the height of a man, ‘Roots’ is as big as a suitcase, ‘Rag Doll’ is the size of a child girl, and ‘The Chairman’ is as big as a chair on the beach. I also like ‘Together’ and ‘Roots’ even more.
Dear Dan, Thank you so much for your reaction to my art, and for taking time to write and take pictures. I will treasure your nice article. I really appreciate it!
You are welcome to call me and come to visit me in my studio (in Tel Aviv). Thanks a lot! Orna 050-6780511
Thank you, Orna, for paying attention to my comments, for acknowledging them but most of all for creating your wonderful art. I hope that we shall have the opportunity to meet sometime, it would be a pleasure for me.