Born in Algiers, painter Henry Valensi was a prominent figure of the French avant-garde at the turn of the twentieth century, leading a group of artists known as the Musicalistes (or Effusionists), who sought to express musical rhythm through abstract painting. Working between the 1930s and 1950s, the Musicalistes organized more than twenty exhibitions of their work in Paris, as well as several other group and solo exhibitions across Europe. As the epicenter of modern art in Europe during the early twentieth century, Paris offered Valensi a cohort of fellow abstractionists with whom he frequently exhibited. This group formed the collective Section d’Or in 1912, and included the artists Francis Picabia and Marcel Duchamp; they strongly influenced Valensi’s abstract, geometric style.
This intricately decorated textile, possibly used as a Torah cover, was produced in Prague around 1600. Four squares adorn its center, the top two containing vases ringed by flowers and vines and the…
Self-Portrait with Candles is a rare example of a work with a Jewish theme by Lily Delissa Joseph. Here she has painted herself holding two Sabbath candles. Her head is covered, as is traditional for…
These program notes were prepared for the Radical New Jewish music performances which were part of the ART PROJEKT Festival held in Munich in September of 1992.American New Music has always been noted…