THE WORD OF GOD:
HELÈNE AYLON, THE LIBERATION OF G-D AND THE UNMENTIONABLE
1 Helène Aylon, Self Portrait:: The Unmentionable, 2010:
2 Helène Aylon, The Liberation of G-D (detail), 1990-96,
The Jewish Museum, New York, Purchase: Dobkin Family Foundation and Fine Arts Acquisitions Committee Funds, Estate of Phyllis Frey, and Mr. and Mrs. George Jaffin Fund:
3 Helène Aylon, The Digital Liberation of G-D, 2004:
from the press release:
THE WORD OF GOD: HELÈNE AYLON, THE LIBERATION OF G-D AND THE UNMENTIONABLE
(Pittsburgh, PA)…April 14, 2011… The Andy Warhol Museum announces its latest special exhibition, The Word of God: Helène Aylon, The Liberation of G-d and The Unmentionable.
Helène Aylon (born 1931) is a New York based eco-feminist artist. Aylon’s career spans over four decades and she has primarily addressed biological, ecological and theological issues from a feminist perspective. Aylon refers to these decade-long subjects encompassing the 70s, 80s, and 90s respectively as Body – Earth – G-d. Her work in The Word of God series features commentary on the Hebrew Bible. The Word of God: Helène Aylon’s The Liberation of G-d and The Unmentionable, continues Aylon’s ideas of how G-d has been confined by human translation.
Aylon’s art over the years has included a unique mixture of performance art, installation art, process-based works and protest art. The G-D Project, an ongoing work, began in the 1990s with the goal of examining the Torah and philosophical teachings with a feminist eye. With the turn of the century, the work has become more autobiographical about her own experiences as an Orthodox Jew.
The Liberation of G-D portion of the exhibition features multiple volumes of the Five Books of Moses, which form the Torah. In each book Aylon has highlighted passages which offend her feminist and humanist outlook. Aylon highlighted words that refer to vengeance, deception, cruelty and misogyny. Also included in the exhibition is a video of Aylon in the actual act of highlighting each passage by hand. The video shows only her hand, and allows one to hear the marker across the page and the crinkling of the parchment as she highlights words in pink. The Unmentionable is a series of self-portrait prints of Aylon with the before mentioned text passages projected onto her face and the holiest name for G-d (Yod-Hei-Vav-Hei (YHVH)) written across her forehead. Observant Jews do not write or pronounce this name for God because it is considered too sacred to be used for common activities. Also included in the exhibition is a site specific work, My Eternal Light.
The exhibition is curated by Tresa Varner, curator of education and interpretation, and Eric C. Shiner, acting director and The Milton Fine curator of art. The Word of God: Helène Aylon, The Liberation of G-d and The Unmentionable is on view through June 26, 2011.
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The Pittsburgh Art BlogThe Pittsburgh Art Blog features selected pittsburgh artists and upcoming exhibits with photos from the artists and galleries. since the major press outlets do not go beyond a directory listing of exhibits, blogs are needed to promote pittsburgh artists and their work. the blog also calls attention to the inferiority complex of pittsburgh art and how it's perpetuated by the major players in town. Started on August 20,2007. pittsburgh area galleries and art venues are listed at the sister site www.PghGalleries.com.
the blog and website are volunteer projects from fine art photographer and pittsburgh artist advocate rick byerly.
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