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January 16, 2004
Chagall art at the VAG
Local Jewish collectors contribute works to exhibit.
CASSANDRA SAVAGE SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
For the first time in Vancouver's history, the artwork of renowned
painter Marc Chagall adorns the walls of the Vancouver Art Gallery
(VAG).
Chagall: Storyteller is a display of complex, labor-intensive printmaking
techniques from the first half of the 20th century. It's comprised
of more than 200 etchings, drypoints, lithographs, gouaches and
works on paper produced by Chagall to tell the visual tale of three
major literary works: Nikolai Gogol's Dead Souls, the Fables
of la Fontaine and the Bible. The show is unique in its focus
on illustration, which is an art form Chagall pursued throughout
his career but one that is infrequently celebrated in major exhibits.
Chagall is more commonly known for his great paintings, which are
housed mainly in Europe and require immense funds to exhibit elsewhere.
Adding local significance to the VAG's focus on Chagall's career
as an illustrator, several members of Vancouver's Jewish community
came forth with original pieces from private collections for the
show, giving the broader public a unique opportunity to view rare
work by one of the world's most celebrated artists.
Local collectors Arnold and Anita Silber loaned work from Chagall's
Fables of la Fontaine series, which was published in 1952 as an
illustrated version of French poet Jean de la Fontaine's tales of
country folk, beasts and heroes. The Silbers saw the VAG project
as an opportunity to make their private collection available for
public enjoyment.
"When we went to the opening, it was exciting to see the work
in a grouping, work that we normally have in our den here, hanging
on a wall," said Anita Silber, who believes Chagall's work
is unappreciated in the context of their home. "I'm not sure
that people who come [to our home] really pay that much attention
or know what they are. I don't know if they look closely and appreciate
what's there."
On the gallery wall, however, that same art becomes easily recognizable
for its significance and appreciated for its beauty.
"Seeing it displayed there was wonderful," said Silber.
"I can't help looking at them in a slightly different way.
They'll come home but they will have been involved for a very good
purpose. They will have been loaned to give an opportunity to hundreds
of people who otherwise wouldn't have viewed a major artist."
Born in Vitebsk, Russia, Chagall weaves his early life experiences
of the shtetl into his work on a variety of levels. His caricatures,
for example, satirize the upper class, mocking landowners for their
gluttony through images of whole animals on dinner plates. Some
people argue that a true understanding of Chagall's work requires
an understanding of Judaism, Yiddish culture and Jewish humor. There
are, of course, autobiographical elements in Chagall's work, and
an understanding of his religious background opens up new angles
for interpretation; however, Chagall didn't deliberately assert
his Jewish identity or specifically seek to be defined as Jewish
artist.
Local collector Yosef Wosk admires Chagall both for his talent as
an artist and for his portrayal of Jewish life.
"It's lyric, it's mythic, it's got color, it's got movement.
It's choreography in art," said Wosk, describing Chagall's
general artistic style. "And I like the idea that he's a Jewish
artist; he was the typical wandering Jew in the 20th century. I
found all that out later but it's added to the depth of his work."
Wosk loaned 60 pieces from his collection for the VAG exhibit, most
of which emerged from flat storage drawers where they are kept safe,
well-conserved and acutely unavailable for regular enjoyment in
their dark, discreet homes. When a collector chooses to purchase
art, however, he takes on the huge responsibility of preserving
and protecting it.
"It takes a long time, a lot of patience, study, care and conservation
of the pieces. And part of the collecting is responsibility to the
artist and to the art," said Wosk, adding that a collector
is also responsible to the community, for sharing the work with
the public.
"So it becomes important at a certain point in my mind to share
the art with the community in a museum or gallery or library-type
setting," said Wosk, who has exhibited parts of his collection
at several Vancouver galleries, donated work to the Charles H. Scott
Gallery and hopes to show Chagall as part of a Jewish-themed exhibit
at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver within the next
few years.
The cost associated with an exhibit of this calibre is in the thousands
of dollars and the gallery relies on fund-raising and loans to finance
production costs. In May 2003, the gallery approached the Diamond
Foundation, which happily accepted the opportunity to assist in
making the Chagall exhibit financially possible. Jill Diamond, executive
director of the Diamond Foundation, said the exhibit not only fits
the foundation's mandate of supporting causes that enrich the value
of Jewish life but also exposes art to the greater community.
"The Diamond Foundation wants to be supportive of the arts
and this is a way to help the larger community," she said.
"As well, it fits our mandate. Chagall really exemplifies the
issues of myth, identity and realism in his own experience being
a member of the Jewish community."
Chagall: Storyteller runs until Feb. 8.
Cassandra Savage is a Vancouver freelance writer.
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