Gideon Gechtman (1942 – November 27, 2008) was an Israeli

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

and

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 ...

. His art is most noted for holding a dialogue with

death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

, often in relation with his own biography.

Biography

Gideon Gechtman was born in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

. He moved to 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 ...

with his family in 1945. He studied at the

Avni Institute of Art and Design Avni Institute of Art and Design is an Israeli art school located in Tel Aviv. History The Studia school (later Avni Institute) was established in 1936 by a group of Jewish artists. Among the founders was Aharon Avni, who became the school's fir ...

(1961–1962), Hammersmith College of Art (1968–1971), the

Ealing School of Art Ealing Art College (or Ealing Technical College & School of Art) was a further education institution on St Mary's Road, Ealing, London, England. The site today is the Ealing campus of University of West London. History In the early 1960s the Sch ...

, and

Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) ( he, אוּנִיבֶרְסִיטַת תֵּל אָבִיב, ''Universitat Tel Aviv'') is a public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Locate ...

(1975–1976). After returning from London with his future wife singer/actress Bat-Sheva Zeisler, he created minimalistic art that was typical for that period. These works were described to "didactically demonstrate structural and figurative change in material and appearance." Gechtman taught at the

Bezalel Academy of Art and Design Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design ( he, בצלאל, אקדמיה לאמנות ועיצוב) is a public college of design and art located in Jerusalem. Established in 1906 by Jewish painter and sculptor Boris Schatz, Bezalel is Israel's oldest ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

(1972–1975) and the Art Teachers Training College of Beit Berl Academic College (1971–2008). In 1973 Gechtman had his first solo exhibition in the Yodfat Gallery 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 ...

. The exhibition, named "Exposure", signified Gechtman's increasing interest in the connection between art and the biographic dimension. On the walls of the gallery were enlarged photographs of the body shaving process before the

open heart surgery Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to corr ...

that Gechtman underwent in 1973. Also in this exhibition were real and fabricated documents regarding Gechtman's medical condition. At the closure of the exhibition Gechtman put up obituaries for himself in Israeli dailies ''

Haaretz ''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...

'' and the ''

Jerusalem Post ''The Jerusalem Post'' is a broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, founded in 1932 during the British Mandate of Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''The Palestine Post''. In 1950, it changed its name to ''The Jerusalem Post''. In 2004, the paper w ...

'', as well as around his home in

Rishon LeZion Rishon LeZion ( he, רִאשׁוֹן לְצִיּוֹן , ''lit.'' First to Zion, Arabic: راشون لتسيون) is a city in Israel, located along the central Israeli coastal plain south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan ar ...

. Gechtman told later about the reactions: "Teachers from Bezalel said to me: 'Have you gone mad? You frightened everyone.'" The obituaries were a returning element in Gechtman's art for years to come. In 1999, he exhibited a remodelled hospital environment under the name Yotam, named after his son who had died. Gideon Gechtman died of heart failure on November 27, 2008.Artist Gideon Gechtman passed away
''

Maariv ''Maariv'' or ''Maʿariv'' (, ), also known as ''Arvit'' (, ), is a Jewish prayer service held in the evening or night. It consists primarily of the evening ''Shema'' and '' Amidah''. The service will often begin with two verses from Psalms, ...

'' 2008-11-28. Accessed 2008-11-28.

Gallery

File:Gideon Gechtman hasifa 005.jpg, Exposure, 1973
Installation view, Ydfat Fallery, Tel Aviv File:Gideon Gechtman brushes.jpg, Brushes (Bat-Sheva, Gideon and Yotam Gechtman), 1974
human hair, wood, copper plaques, glass File:Gideon Gechtman modaat evel 002.jpg, Obituary Notices, 1975
Bulletin board in Rishon LeZion File:Gideon Gechtman cart 1984.jpg, Cart, 1982-1984
wood, formica, iron, rubber, brass. base painting in superlac on plywood File:Gideon Gechtman at Neomi givon 1984 001.jpg, Obituaries, 1984
Installation view, Neomi Givon Gallery, Tel Aviv Image:Obituary Notice (white), 1984, superlac on plywood, 79.5X103.5 cm.jpg, Obituary Notice, 1984
superlac on plywood, 79.5x103.5 cm. File:Gideon Gechtman Hakibuz 1985 2.jpg, Mitot, 1985
Installation view, Kibbutz Gallery, Tel Aviv File:Gideon Gechtman Preparation for Mausoleum No.jpg, Preparation for Mausoleum No.1, 1988
Installation view, Artists Studios Workshops, Jerusalem File:Gideon Gechtman vase 1992 3.JPG, Vase, 1992
Fiberglass and Paint
Ibn Gabirol Street, Tel Aviv File:Gideon Gechtman Echo 1992.jpg, Echo, 1995
Mix Media File:Gideon Gechtman hedva 1996.jpg, Chedva, 1995
Installation view, Chelouche Gallery, Tel Aviv File:Gideon Gechtman Yotma 004.jpg, Yotam, 1999
Installation view, Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art Image:B08_0165.jpg, Peacock, 1999

Israel Museum The Israel Museum ( he, מוזיאון ישראל, ''Muze'on Yisrael'') is an art and archaeological museum in Jerusalem. It was established in 1965 as Israel's largest and foremost cultural institution, and one of the world’s leading encyclopa ...

Collection File:13 Obituary Notice, 2006, neon light on formica-coated plywood, silkscreen (blue).JPG, Neon obituary notice, 2006 File:Gideon Gechtman obituary orange.jpg, Orange obituary notice File:Launching Apparatus by Gideon Gechtman2.jpg, Launching Apparatus, 2008
Installation view, Chelouche Gallery, Tel Aviv

Education

* 1961-62 Avni Institute, Tel Aviv * 1962-63 Ealing School of Art, London * 1968-70 Hammersmith College of Art, London * 1975-76 Tel Aviv University, philosophy and art history

Prizes

* 1970 –

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

* 1989 – Ministry of Education Prize for Completion of Project * 1990 –

Histadrut Histadrut, or the General Organization of Workers in Israel, originally ( he, ההסתדרות הכללית של העובדים בארץ ישראל, ''HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael''), is Israel's national trade union center ...

Prize * 1993 – Minister of Science and Arts Prize for Creations in the Realm of Plastic Arts * 1995 –

Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of Art ( he, מוזיאון תל אביב לאמנות ''Muzeon Tel Aviv Leomanut'') is an art museum in Tel Aviv, Israel. The museum is dedicated to the preservation and display of modern and contemporary art from Israel and aroun ...

Prize * 1997 –

Israel Discount Bank Israel Discount Bank, Ltd. is a retail bank, commercial bank, private bank and financial services company headquartered in Tel Aviv with 112 branches throughout Israel. Discount Bank is a public company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange und ...

Prize for an Israeli Artist,

, Jerusalem * 1999 – George and Janet Geffin Prize for Excellence in Plastic Arts,

America Israel Cultural Foundation The America-Israel Cultural Foundation (AICF) is a non-profit American foundation that supports cultural projects in Israel. History The America-Israel Cultural Foundation was established in 1939 to support the growth and development of a Jewish ...

* 2002 –

Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...

Museum Award for Art for distinguished achievement in contemporary creative arts * 2006 – Ministry of culture prize for his life's work.

Solo exhibitions

* 1973 – ''Exposure'', Yodfat Gallery,

* 1984 –

Givon Art Gallery The Givon Art Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in Tel Aviv, Israel. The Gallery was founded in 1974 by Sam Givon on Gordon Street in Tel Aviv. In 1979 his daughter, Naomi (Noemi) opened the Givon Contemporary Art Gallery. Since the founder's ...

, Tel Aviv * 1985 – ''Mitot'', Kibbutz Gallery, Tel Aviv * 1988 – ''Preparation for Mausoleum No.1'', Artists Studios,

* 1992 – ''Israel Echo'', Bograshov Gallery, Tel Aviv * 1996 – ''Chedva'', Chelouche Gallery, Tel Aviv * 1999 – ''Yotam'',

Herzliya Herzliya ( ; he, הֶרְצְלִיָּה ; ar, هرتسليا, Hirtsiliyā) is an affluent city in the central coast of Israel, at the northern part of the Tel Aviv District, known for its robust start-up and entrepreneurial culture. In it h ...

Museum of Art * 2001 – ''Etude'', Chelouche Gallery, Tel Aviv * 2001 – ''Infinite Regress'', Wiensowski & Harbord,

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

* 2003 – ''Chedva, Gideon and all the Rest'', Artists House, Tel Aviv * 2003 – Haifa Museum of Art,

* 2007 – ''Initial Concept'',

Petah Tikva Petah Tikva ( he, פֶּתַח תִּקְוָה, , ), also known as ''Em HaMoshavot'' (), is a city in the Central District (Israel), Central District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv. It was founded in 1878, mainly by Haredi Judaism, Haredi Jews of ...

Museum of Art * 2007 – ''Dead Line'', Beit Kanner Municipal Gallery,

Rishon Lezion Rishon LeZion ( he, רִאשׁוֹן לְצִיּוֹן , ''lit.'' First to Zion, Arabic: راشون لتسيون) is a city in Israel, located along the central Israeli coastal plain south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan ar ...

* 2008 – ''Launching Apparatus'', Chelouche Gallery, Tel Aviv * 2012 – ''Butterflies & Pyramids'', Chelouche Gallery, Tel Aviv * 2013 –
Gideon Gechtman, 1942–2008
',

, Jerusalem

References

External links

* * *

Museums and galleries

Gideon Gechtman
at Chelouche Gallery *
Gideon Gechtman
at Petach Tikva Museum of Art

General art websites

Gideon Gechtman
at Artfacts.net * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gechtman, Gideon 1942 births 2008 deaths Egyptian emigrants to Israel Egyptian Jews Israeli Jews Israeli photographers Jews in Mandatory Palestine People from Alexandria People from Rishon LeZion 20th-century Israeli sculptors 20th-century Israeli painters 21st-century Israeli sculptors 21st-century Israeli painters Academic staff of Beit Berl College