During an artist residency in Yerevan, Armenia, I began working on a sculpture of the First Hebrew letter -Aleph
the essay below is based on a public talk i gave there .
The Aleph sculpture
The sculpture is a spatial interpretation of the Hebrew first letter- called ”Aleph” .as you can see, a lot of important words in Hebrew start with aleph. My interest in the aleph started when I suddenly realized, that the golden ratio is embedded thoroughly in the aleph. the golden ratio , also called the divine proportion , is a cosmic rule, that could be described by a simple mathematical equation : the division of a line into two segment, in a way that creates balance between the segments on the totality , in the way described in the illustration below. this cosmic formative law , which is also an aesthetic rule , could be seen in many phenomena , in geometry, nature , and art. the main geometrical shape that have the Golden means embedded in it is the 5 point star - also called Solomon's seal.
Then I also come to observe two more qualities; the Aleph have a gesture, there is expressive gesture to this letter, unlike any other latter that I know.
The third quality is balance, which i think is pretty obvious trait of the Aleph.
So divine proportion, gesture and balance, are three traits that could be observed in the Hebrew aleph.
This specific gesture could also be seen in another artwork, called “the representative of humanity” by English sculptor Edith Marion, and German philosopher and occultist Rudolf Steiner, from 1925, just before he departed. What is this representative doing with his arms? Steiner has already elaborated in his lectures and writings about the existence of two spiritual entities that influence the human being from two opposite directions. The figure creates balance in himself by assigning to each of these spiritual entities his proper place, that is, does not allow them to take control over his sphere of activity, which will prevent him from developing his true human capabilities, that emanated from his divine ego hood, or individuality.
'The representative of humanity' , or , in connection to the Aleph , the archetypal 'Adam'.
Steiner indicated that for him , this is Jesus Christ. there are two 'manifestation of each one of the spiritual entities of Lucifer and Ahriman , expressing their nature within the general order of the cosmos , and in relation to the human sphere.
more detailed explanations and background of this very interesting sculpture could be found in this book.
I have not come here to share with you any theories, or even my credo , unless it is relevant to the way in which I experience reality. for this purpose, I will have to summarise the essence of the influence of this two entities, which as you will come to see, could really be felt by anyone who seriously look into his inner being.
Therefore, we will look at the 'Aleph' is if it was 'Adam'- the Hebrew word for man , as you might recognize from the biblical Adam and Eve. the same word is used in Hebrew till this day.
The right 'arm' is working with matter, with the physical world. in the aleph we can observe dual meaning to the right hand's role. First, obviously, it keep the 'Aleph' standing. this indicates our reliance on the physical world through our physical nature, and that we have to develop the ability and skill to know and provide ourselves with the physical requirements of our existence, at least to some extent, in order to conduct a fruitful life on all other spheres as well . it also means, that as part of the physical world, we have every justification to investigate this physical world thoroughly and tediously by the various sciences. Nevertheless, the spiritual force that this arm must confront, works to bound us to be totally submerged in materialistic thoughts. A mechanical , soulless view of the universe and man, a leaning toward our animal nature, a view of man as accessory of his brain, this are few of the widespread consequences of human succumb to this powers influence.
In the pendulum swing of world history, this power is the prevailing in our time,as we all experience.
As you can see, the right arm of the aleph contemporary man is already crumbles tremendously by surrendering to the ahrimanic influence, the spiritual power behind materialism. a different aspect of this crumbling could be grasped if we will look it the aleph as a representation of another Hebrew word– omanut- art. When it comes to art , the crumbling of the right arm signifies the decline in our ability to experience the sensual as something that is more than just representation, as something that through the appearance can lead us to the essential. This decline emanated , and supported by the prevailing philosophical work of our times- Kantianism. according to Kant , the representations of the world directs us to our own constitution, therefore the meaning of any outside stimulus is eventually subjective to human beings , and can teach us about our inner Constitution, but nothing on the essentials of the world outside of us, let alone the 'things in themselves' , kant's term for the essence of things. (more on this here).
(the opposite way of looking at matter and physical phenomena could be termed, following Steiner , intuitive thinking .( see "life, form and chaos" , for example).
The other arm is holding something that want to suck us upward, want us to be completely above the ground, enclosed in our sensations, imaginations, conceptions and self-hood. It want us to swell like a balloon with hot air of self-importance, indulged on our sophisticated spider net of conceptions, symbols and metaphors. conceptual art is the domain in which this powers influence is very strong in our days, and it also the one that animate the nature of this entities influence on the human being in the most profound way.
each of us can trace the influences of this two spiritual entities on oneself. our physical body itself is divided to left and right , with organs that thus under the influence of the Luciferic or Ahrimanic entities. we can imagine an almost invisible line in the center ,marking the domain of ones self hood in the body. This part is the actively balancing part, that become stronger and wiser through its ability to differentiate its own being from any identification with this influences. It is the diagonal axis in the Hebrew 'Aleph' , in which i tried to express the immortality and movement through and by the polarity of two kingdoms, the material world and the spirit world.
upper left: second version , plaster upper right : third version , fiberglass
down left : forth version , with a base down right: third version, front view
the 'Aleph' sculpture make the the possibility to observe a more lively manifestation of the mirror image of this unique symbol. this bring to mind the notion of an ideal image and a realistic one, that reflects the present.
there is a sense of tension, and determination of bones and muscles, in this mirrored Aleph. it almost feels like this Aleph struggle to climb on a slippery upheaval road to a mountain top, where it will able to gaze upon everything that was around her once. the Aleph as it is as a letter, represent the ideal that we should strive for, what one should become at the end of human evolution, at the top of the hill. Rudolf Steiner indicated that for him , the human figure in his sculpture represent Christ, that Christ is the representative of man . the Aleph and the Steiner sculpture share the theme and motif of a balancing activity between two opposite poles , uniting them through the middle.
to be able to walk up this hill , The human I , self-consciousness creative ego being, should acknowledge and experience this spiritual powers.
We should become intimately concerned with their manifestations in ourselves and in the world.
It requires from us to be earnest and develop clear cognition, in all spheres of life , including the sphere of contemporary art.
We will than see, that the contemporary art scene demand from us , upon stepping into this scene, and even before by means of education, to adopt a world view, or at least surrender to its assumptions, that deny the very existence of the human I , self-conscious creative ego being, and its ability to intuitively form conceptions based on its experience of reality. Instead, it emphasis and invigorate the polar nature of man, by division to concepts and matter, that is , the way conditions affect us from outside, and build our world of concepts. This come on the expanse of our capabilities of genuine freedom and individuality . If we will examine the artworks that are promoted , sponsored , and pushed to the front of the stage by this net, we will see that it is exactly that kind of works that surrender to this spiritual powers . That is , artwork that use the visual only as a jump-start for conceptual activity, that could be assimilated by the artistic system of thought, and scientific artworks, that promotes the dominance of materialistic scientific,in our time , also technological, world views.
Another way to describe it is to say that our head took over heart, our limbs, all of our organism. Just like some people now days refer to their feelings and wishes as a by-product of their brain, artists are expected to be the accessory of the art scene “brain”. When someone adopts the notion that he is mere accessory of his brain, he conceptually alien himself to the real nature of his entity, and block for himself, essentially, the ability to genuinely 'walk the line' of individual breakthrough , that should be the leading impulse of the artistic sphere. The same is happen in the art scene in general. There is a broken link between artists who , one must hope, looking for new ways to have intuitive experience of reality and translate it into a genuine artistic process, and the 'head' of the global art scene, that can see no value in activity that can't be brought into connection with its own conceptions.
Actually, the criteria for being embraced by the global art scene is to give up on your freedom to form your own concepts based on your experience of reality, and to express it freely... for the sake of career, many artists wear the conceptual mental provided for them by the scene, and adopt the abstract, pseudo academic jargon that dominates the art scene discourse and publications.
Going along this thought line , I will now suggest another way of looking at the Aleph , as a combination of two other symbols that we discussed – man and art – thus we will now look at the Aleph as representative of an artist, or rather a contemporary artist.
What could come to his/ her aid in the struggle to balance this two forces, that strive to devour his intuitions , ideals and reverence for beauty and truth, and make him a mere apparatus for the discourse of post modernistic , concept generating machine?
There are two principles that permeate the world, which we can imagine also as two pillars: those are the pillars of Boaz and Yachin, also called the pillars of King Solomon, erected on both sides of the entrance of the holy temple in Jerusalem, later to become also important symbols in the founding legend of free masonry. above is a representation of the two pillars from Rudolf Steiner ,depicting a corresponding scene from the book of Revelation: The left pillar, erected from the see waves, is the pillar of wisdom. Like the rhythm of the waves, wisdom is infused, pulsating in the world in countless cycles; rhythm is the language of wisdom in the world.
The other pillar stand on a cliff, a solid ground, this is the pillar of might. Might as the manifestation of will, that also permeate the world, with its special attributes in the human sphere .
i will describe two ways to look it these two pillars: one see the might mainly expressed as something that is oppressing the individual, looking to suppress it, neglect it from its rights. There are structures of power, of might, that should be hold accountable for the fallacies that the individual experience. The target of the arts, in its special sphere, is to confront those structures of power, to wisely decipher and visualize it , and by this, contribute to the effort to release this powers grip upon the subject . The questions that are directly connected to the inner essence of human beings are not part of this 'discourse': the might of the subject is being experienced only as it oppose the other ,institutional might , the wisdom is experienced only as the cunning by which the subjugating powers are exposed and deciphered.
, Let's look at the ways in which wisdom and might might be experienced, by a contemporary artist who embed the spirit of the age:
he experiences strength in the form of power structures that limits him from outside his being. he dedicates himself to map these power structures in order to understand his own being. To do this he uses the other pillar of wisdom. He refers to human nature as he came to know it from the various sciences, to understand the motivations and ways in which this power is able to gain hold of his reality. this outlines the way i experience the default theme into which the academic, secular contemporary artist is groomed.
the other way to look at theconcept of individuality is from the other pole, that of the spirit. the "i" in that case is a divine spark , therfore his freedom is first and formost an inner , immament quality. might is also an inner quality, born out of spiritual sources, nurturing also the wisdom , by creating courage and Earnest endeavor to pierce through the illusionery elements of oneself (the persona), and those in the outer world. wisdom is kindled from truth itself ' that apear for the artist from his ability to unite , through sensitive awarness , the world of the senses and the world of ideas into a complete union , radiating beauty , truth and wisdom. in the contemporary art world , the last words of the privious sentences are really a provocation to difficult to bear..(marking for myself checked for this one..)
Why did I choose to do this sculpture in residency in Armenia?
In my experience, cultural exchange is heavily promoted on global institutional level, through countries cultural departments, artists residencies, curators and educational institutions. I am expected to come to Armenia, experience the local situation, and with my developed faculties of criticism, or as it is so vainly and illusively termed today – ' critical thinking' , create artworks that reflect my point of view, and will also have potency the get into a 'dialogue' with the dried out intellectuals curators and art theorists, which will supply the batch of words to describe and categorise my work, as a proper procedure of becoming a wire in the tremendous conceptual spider net that this global scene maintain as a reason for its existence. Cultural exchange is, in fact, a counteract to any real individual expression. It is based on the notion, that a human being is a combination of his heredity and his political, cultural and social environment. Hence, by being exposed to more narratives I will become a more universally rich person. I believe that this is only the envelopes of a hidden spiritual, individual core, which is the part that kindles any true artistic activity. When denying this core, it is reasonable to believe that by exchanging narratives I will become a more universal human being, and this will promote humanity as a whole. I don't believe in universal human beings, and not in universal morality or universal law. I do believe, and know, of individual human beings, .and as more as their individuality is radiating through their 'envelope', the more they have the potential to inspire other individuals. Communicating artistically only by means of our envelopes produces artificial and superficial art. It keeps us stuck in dead shells of things and the deeds of past generations, using big phrases like tradition, heritage, narratives and so on, and It lacks the 'spark' of the individual being in the present.
the wisdom of the Vesica Piscis could enlighten us , when trying to understand what to me is the base of fruitful interaction between people. the sun represents the karmic egohood, the unique core of spiritual individual existence that each of us possess. it descends into earthly existence, with all his/her unique karma and missions, which are the result of many former lives. before it decent, it adopt itself into a specific heritage stream of race , nation , parents and gender, and build , first spiritually, it's future body according to this bloodstream. the other circle is the moon, that represents everything that belong to this particular bloodline , culture and genes that the soul adopts before its decent, and which constitute it's earthly identity and life circumstances. the area in which this circles penetrate each other is what the individual have made of the earthly conditions he prescribed for himself from the spiritual realm, or rather, the way in which his immortal "i" manifest within this earthly 'boundaries', as reflected through his biography. what is excluded from the "mandorla" (the eye shape in the center) into the pure "sun" sphere , is the spiritual strings that weave our lives through destiny and karma , it is the sphere from which we are connected to out higher self , soul we are connected wit that are in the spirit world , and spiritual entities that are connected to our current folk. what lies in the circle of the moon sphere is everything that have died , that belong to the past , that was once expressed and built the race, nation and so forth, but could not live in mere abstractions, only when it is lit from inside by the ego . in other words, it is the dark side of the moon. to make this illustration correct , the mandorla should have been the lighted part of the moon , and the rest of the moon dark . as i see it , this conversation between peoples 'dark side of the moon' is a major part of the artistic discourse nowadays.
The Aleph could serve as an example of what I am trying to say. It is the first time that I created artwork that is directly connected to my national heritage. But when examining the process that initiated this endeavour, you can see that it started from individual interest, both conceptually and artistically, that is, the driving force was not heritage, tradition or culture, it was pure artistic interest. . It is only because I was exposed all my life to Hebrew letters that I could suddenly, out of the blue, become aware of these principles in the Hebrew aleph. An attempt to work creatively from other man's “envelope', or dark moon , is a result of misunderstanding of man's true nature, and reluctance to acknowledge a spiritual individual core, that can only radiate through her own preconditions of culture , nation and so on. It can radiate through it with subtle remarks of it, like most of my other artistic works, or, like in the Aleph sculpture, it can engage and rejuvenate aspects of it's own heritage and folklore.
there is a third principle that permeates the world , in addition to the two that are symbolized in the pillars of Boaz and Yachin - might and wisdom.
we find the third principle amidst the two circles with a share center and periphery - in the mandorla . this principle is purely qualitative , it is not gained by any rank or degree of achievement , even the simplest of human being could radiate it far and deep . this is the power of Love. love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31), and in the Torah
"You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord".(Leviticus 19,18).
the fact that it is said "i am the lord" in the end of the sentence interpreted as a warning against loving your neighbor even if he is wicked. but there is another interpretation for this , that coincide well also with the words of Jesus Christ. love your neighbor. as you love you own "i am"- see in your neighbor the same , free , creative divine spark of the "I am" that you acknowledge in yourself. as Jesus Christ said
"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20).
Painting by Charles Gilchrist https://www.charlesgilchrist.com/
The final "Aleph" sculptur
