Friday, July 28, 2006

Mosaic

There is an interesting connection between Mosaics and Stars of David. Why? I'm just asking the question and waiting for a learned answer. Here are some examples I stumbled upon recently:
Artist Akiva K. Segan presents on his web page some slides of the phases of his Star of David project. He constructed two wooden frames to separate the drawing and the mosaic. He documented the project on film.
Making Stars of David from mosaics was common thousands of years ago: in Ein Yael in southern Jerusalem; in St. Euthymius (Khan el Akhmar in Mishor Adummim, east of Jerusalem); Construction workers found in Ramle, near Tel Aviv, Israel, a Moslem six-pointed star embedded into a mosaic floor from the 8th century CE.
Marc Chagall designed in the Israeli parliament building a floor of mosaics. One of the main subjects described in it is the Star of David.
Aviva Beigel made a Star of David mosaic, sand on wood, titled Present Situation. It expresses what she feels towards the current state of affairs in Israel.
Even Zeev Golan is selling on the BiblicalGallery neckwear with a Star of David mosaic pattern.

Destroyed Settlements

After Israel finished evacuating all Jewish settlements in Gaza, in August 2005, Aharon Shevo, artist and illustrator, designed a torn Star of David with the inscription of the names of 21 settlements that were destroyed. On the background of that star there's a picture of the Titus gate in order to associate the traumatic experience of leaving the settlements with the going of Jews into exile 2000 years ago.