A new exhibition of large tapestries entitled “Sipurei Badim” (a play on the Hebrew words: fabrics tell stories meaning Fairy Tales) by the extraordinary multidisciplinary Israeli artist (and dancer): Noa Eshkol opened at the Tefen Industrial Park.
Fortunately I happened to be in the north (of Israel) before the opening date. So I could take my time snapping away without anyone in the way. My only time constraint was my husband’s eagerness to go to the Car Collection next door. But who knows maybe he’ll do a guest post one day.The exhibition displays 35 (3.5 x 2.5 meters) out of 1,500 tapestries. Noa made them from the start of the Yom Kippur War (1973) until her death in 2007. The works of art give rise to a powerful and impressionable aesthetic experience.
All the tapestries are made of fabric remnants that over the years were collected and brought to Noa Eshkol.
She had a golden rule in tapestry making: no shape could be cut and only fabric scraps that were meant for trash were allowed to be used.
From these cuttings she created singularly original shapes, compositions and colours.
The textures, colours and fabric designs create an illusion of depth, complexity and sensory movement. Not unusual since she was a dancer, choreographer and co-developer of a dance notation system.
Each tapestry appears to be fabric but at times looks like a painting and at others a 3-D sculpture.
The results are not random but rather very carefully planned and like Noa Eshkol herself, unpredictable and unconventional.
The exhibition runs from January 2nd through July 28th, 2010. It’s worth a trip north to catch these fabric tales.
All images copyright Judy Weiss. All rights reserved.
How beautiful and original! I love tapestries but have never seen one made from just fabrics. The designs indeed reflect movement and harmony. I love the gold tones and undertones of her work.
Do you know if this is a permanent exhibition or will it go on tour? (My chances of getting to north Israel are slim at the moment…)
I just spoke to the curator. Unfortunately there are no plans to take the exhibition abroad. But it may be traveling to Omer which is next to Beersheva in the south. I don’t know if that helps you. This week they are also starting up guided tours.
On a private list, we were discussing that Noa was a close friend of Moshe Feldenkrais…Her work is amazing. It quite takes my breath away.