David Ascalon ( he, דוד אשקלון; born March 8, 1945) is an Israeli contemporary
sculptor
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
and
stained glass
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
artist, and co-founder of Ascalon Studios.
Biography
Ascalon was born in
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
, in the
British Mandate of Palestine British Mandate of Palestine or Palestine Mandate most often refers to:
* Mandate for Palestine: a League of Nations mandate under which the British controlled an area which included Mandatory Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan.
* Mandatory P ...
(now
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
) on March 8, 1945. He received his early artistic training as an apprentice of his father, the
Hungarian-born sculptor and industrial designer,
Maurice Ascalon (1913–2003).
Ascalon came to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
as a teenager when his father took the family across the Atlantic as a means to broaden their horizons. He attended
Beverly Hills High School
Beverly Hills High School (usually abbreviated as Beverly or as BHHS) is the only major public high school in Beverly Hills, California. The other public high school in Beverly Hills, Moreno High School, is a small alternative school located on B ...
in
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...
and graduated in 1963.
David studied art and design at the
California State University at Northridge
California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) is a public university in the Northridge, Los Angeles, Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students (as of Fall 2021), it h ...
as well as architecture and interior design at
California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, and
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York. It has a satellite campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The school was ...
in New York, where he received his degree. Throughout the 1970s, Ascalon worked in the fields of
interior design
Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordina ...
and architecture in New York, and for the firm of the noted Israeli architect
Aryeh Elhanani in Tel Aviv. Seeking a more immediate means of artistic expression than the architectural arts would allow, he began experimenting in sculptural
metalwork
Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on every scale ...
, exploring abstract compositions with a
welding torch
Principle of burn cutting
Oxy-fuel welding (commonly called oxyacetylene welding, oxy welding, or gas welding in the United States) and oxy-fuel cutting are processes that use fuel gases (or liquid fuels such as gasoline or petrol, diesel, ...
. He currently resides in the Philadelphia suburb of
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Cherry Hill is a township within Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a population of 74,553, which reflected an increase of 3,508 (+4.94%) from the 71,045 counted in the 2010 census. , and in the
Hamptons
The Hamptons, part of the East End of Long Island, consist of the towns of Southampton and East Hampton, which together comprise the South Fork of Long Island, in Suffolk County, New York. The Hamptons are a popular seaside resort and one of ...
on the east end of
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
,
New York. In recent years, Ascalon has taken an active role on issues of artist rights advocacy, and in 2010 filed a federal suit under the
Visual Artists Rights Act
The Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 (VARA), ( title VI, ), is a United States law granting certain rights to artists.
VARA was the first federal copyright legislation to grant protection to ''moral rights''. Under VARA, works of art that meet ce ...
(VARA) in a case involving the rights of artist with respect to the restoration of public sculpture. Among David's other relatives are his son, contemporary
industrial designer
Industrial design is a process of design applied to physical products that are to be manufactured by mass production. It is the creative act of determining and defining a product's form and features, which takes place in advance of the manufactu ...
Brad Ascalon
Brad Ascalon (born in 1977), is an American industrial designer who grew up in the Philadelphia suburb of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He earned a bachelor's degree at Rutgers University, and received a master's degree in industrial design from New Yo ...
, and older brother Adir Ascalon (d.2003). Adir was a surrealist painter and sculptor who collaborated with the noted Mexican muralist
David Alfaro Siqueiros
David Alfaro Siqueiros (born José de Jesús Alfaro Siqueiros; December 29, 1896 – January 6, 1974) was a Mexican social realist painter, best known for his large public murals using the latest in equipment, materials and technique. Along with ...
. David is also a licensed airplane
private pilot
A private pilot licence (PPL) or, in the United States, a private pilot certificate, is a type of pilot licence that allows the holder to act as pilot in command of an aircraft privately (not for remuneration). The licence requirements are dete ...
.
Ascalon Studios
In 1977, David relocated to the
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
area where he joined up with his father to form Ascalon Studios. It was then that he began focusing his efforts on the creation of site-specific artwork for worship and public spaces. Much of his work draws on
ecclesiastical themes, however utilizing non-traditional approaches and contemporary forms. In the years since its founding, Ascalon Studios, under David's direction, has executed hundreds of projects throughout
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, ranging from monumental sculptures and liturgical
stained glass windows, to
mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
murals. Many of his works adorn
synagogue architecture and other venues for worship. Among his sculptural installations are a number of
Holocaust Memorial
A number of organizations, museums and monuments are intended to serve as memorials to the Holocaust, the Nazi Final Solution, and its millions of victims.
Memorials and museums listed by country:
__NOTOC__
A - D: AlbaniaArgentinaAustraliaAustr ...
s that pay tribute to the victims of the atrocities (included are many from his own family).
Awards and Recognitions
David has been the recipient of major international design commissions and awards, including from the
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...
' Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture. He is a member of the
International Sculpture Center
The International Sculpture Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1960 by Elden Tefft and James A. Sterritt at the University of Kansas. It is currently located on the old New Jersey Fairground in Hamilton, New Jersey
Its goal is ...
, and he is past president of the
American Guild of Judaic Art and has lectured on the subject of
Judaic
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the M ...
art.
COVID-19 Response
In response to the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
pandemic and shortages of
Personal Protective Equipment
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, elec ...
(PPE) for healthcare workers throughout the United States, in April 2020, David retooled the Ascalon Studios facility in order to produce hundred of specialty devices known as COVID-19 Intubation Safety Boxes for donation to American hospitals. The Safety Boxes, first used by healthcare workers in January 2020 when the pandemic hit Taiwan, are specialized acrylic cubes with flap-sealed hand holes that fit over the head and torso of infected patients, designed to allow doctors, nurses, and first responders the ability to undertake ventilator intubation and extubation while minimizing exposure to contaminated secretions emanated during the process.
Gallery
Image:David Ascalon - Stained Glass Window.jpg, From a series of abstract stained glass windows for Beth El Congregation near Washington, DC
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
.
Image:David Ascalon, Ascalon Studios, Holocaust Memorial- Harrisburg, PA.jpg, David Ascalon's Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...
Memorial for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...
(1994), on the Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...
, Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...
Image:Totem par David Ascalon.jpg, David Ascalon's "Totem", fabricated bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
sculpture at the Cherry Hill Public Library
The Cherry Hill Public Library is a public library located at 1100 Kings Highway North in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The library is overseen by the Library Board of Trustees and run by The Library Director. Originally called ''The Cherry Hill Free ...
, Cherry Hill, New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
Image:David Ascalon Kinetic Sculpture Mobile memphis TN.JPG, "Wings to the Heavens" kinetic sculpture mobile by David Ascalon with Brad Ascalon
Brad Ascalon (born in 1977), is an American industrial designer who grew up in the Philadelphia suburb of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He earned a bachelor's degree at Rutgers University, and received a master's degree in industrial design from New Yo ...
and Eric Ascalon, 2008, Temple Israel (Memphis, Tennessee)
Temple Israel is a Reform Jewish congregation in Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States. It is the only Reform synagogue in Memphis, the oldest and largest Jewish congregation in Tennessee, and one of the largest Reform congregations in the U.S ...
File:ASCALON STUDIOS, David Ascalon, Lincoln Square Synagogue Ark New York.jpg, Sanctuary ark for Lincoln Square Synagogue
The Lincoln Square Synagogue is a Modern Orthodox synagogue located at 180 Amsterdam Avenue between West 68th and 69th Streets in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1964, the physical location of the ...
, New York City (2013), by David Ascalon.
References
"100 Artists of the Mid-Atlantic" by E. Ashley Rooney, Schiffer Books (2011) .
*"What is the Meaning of This", by Martha Lufkin, ''
The Art Newspaper
''The Art Newspaper'' is a monthly print publication, with daily updates online, founded in 1990 and based in London and New York City. It covers news of the visual arts as they are affected by international politics and economics, developments ...
'', October 2010 at 28.
"When Creator and Owner Clash", by Daniel Grant, ''The Wall Street Journal'', August 31, 2010.ICO Publishers, Japan (2008). .
*“Inside, Outside, Sculpture Shows Pieces of His Soul”, by Jan Hefler, ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer
''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...
'', October 31, 2004.
*
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds o ...
Art Inventories Catalogue, Call Numbers: PA001671, PA001366, NY000754, 74780001, 747800003, 747800004, 74700005
"Out of the Box", by Haley Chouinard, ''Business of Home'', April 8, 2020.*
"South Jersey Companies Team Up to Provide Free Intubation Boxes”, by Dave Isaac, ''Courier Post'', April 10, 2020.
External links
Ascalon Studios
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ascalon, David
1945 births
Beverly Hills High School alumni
Jewish Israeli artists
Jewish sculptors
American sculptors
Israeli sculptors
Modern sculptors
American stained glass artists and manufacturers
Pratt Institute alumni
Israeli emigrants to the United States
Israeli people of Hungarian-Jewish descent
Living people
People from Tel Aviv
People from Cherry Hill, New Jersey