Author Description

The history of art in Israel is a complex one, determined by numerous factors relating to language, culture, religion, and politics. This handsome book portrays the vitality and innovation that characterize the work of 36 artists who currently live in Israel. It seeks to capture the flavor of a turbulent, splintered time in Israeli society since the death of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 by examining the work of a stylistically and ideologically diverse group of artists.Despite the plurality of styles, these remarkable artists share a common sensibility. Political and social references may be indirect or explicit, but this is an art that projects an inner turmoil, without nostalgia or comfort. Leading Israeli art, cultural, and social critics contribute essays that provide new perspectives into the national, social, existential, and aesthetic concerns of contemporary Israeli artists.