Try/Tri- Ambiguity: He Sees, She Sees, We See
נסו (תלת) - משמעות: הוא רואה, היא רואה, אנו רואים
Mixed media on glass (tefillin straps, Lace, tallit katan, book), 1992
Traditional Judaism has often viewed women mainly in terms of their reproductive selves; hence her belly is seen here poking out from where the head would be, of the wearer of the Tallit Katan, the traditional male undergarment. She is seen thus also from above: the rabbi (before there were women rabbis,) carrying the Torah (before women carried the Torah), illustrated in a traditional text for children. The broken glass yad, Torah pointer), points also to her belly. It is broken as if to say 'this view is no longer acceptable, that the woman is only a child bearer'.) The work is framed on the left by the negative pattern of a women’s eyelit paisley trim, and on the right by the positive paisley fabric itself. Both the positive and the negative feminine images are dark and strong, attesting to her hiddenness and to her strength. Seen from the center, however, she is the autonomous Great Mother of the Universe. Tefillin (phylactery) straps bind her to her status, but two other tefillin straps are falling free. The entire work is in tones of black, white and grey to temper the notion of polarities.
The central image of breast and belly was a gift to me. She was originally a Tiamat image produced by Dr. Judith Jones, a former student. There is a double irony in this birth image. It is the pivotal work during which Nancy Chinn, my mentor, midwifed my artistic birth. We were as usual working together, on the pavement outside the garage. At a certain point I was wishing inside of me that she would go away. I needed to continue alone in my own way. We both understood this unspoken transition, after which we became colleagues, a relationship that continues to enrich us both.
