Michael Sgan-Cohen (2 March 1944 – 20 February 1999) was an Israeli artist, art historian, curator and critic. His oeuvre touches different realms of the Israeli experience and the

Hebrew language Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

, displaying a strong connection to the

Jewish Scriptures The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
''

Art history Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

, philosophy, Biblical Texts,

Jewish thought Jewish thought ( he, מחשבת ישראל, ''Machshevet Yisrael'', or ''machshavah''), also known as Judaic thought or Hebraic thought, is a field of Jewish studies that deals with the products of Jewish thought and culture throughout the ages, an ...

and

Mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in ...

, which in turn illuminated all these pursuits. His engagement with

Judaism 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 t ...

and the Bible as a secular scholar and his vast knowledge of

modern Modern may refer to: History * Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Phil ...

and

contemporary art Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic co ...

contributed to the development of a distinctive approach which combined Jewish and Israeli symbols and images to create a multilayered and contemporary artistic language. Sgan-Cohen's art was anticipatory in many respects: his concept of Israeli identity as part of Jewish Identity developed long before other artists began to see things in these terms. This reflected in his profound involvement with the formative Jewish sacred texts, both intellectually and by embedding Jewish thought into the essence of his artistic practice. He was one of the pioneers in the sophisticated use of the

as a means of expression in

Life

Michael Sgan-Cohen was born in

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

Mandatory Palestine Mandatory Palestine ( ar, فلسطين الانتدابية '; he, פָּלֶשְׂתִּינָה (א״י) ', where "E.Y." indicates ''’Eretz Yiśrā’ēl'', the Land of Israel) was a geopolitical entity established between 1920 and 1948 ...

in 1944. His father, Dr. Meir Sgan-Cohen, was a well-known figure in Jerusalem and president

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi Yitzhak Ben-Zvi ( he, יִצְחָק בֶּן־צְבִי‎ ''Yitshak Ben-Tsvi''; 24 November 188423 April 1963) was a historian, Labor Zionist leader and the longest-serving President of Israel. Biography Born in Poltava in the Russian Empir ...

's personal physician. Sgan-Cohen graduated in

Art History Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

and Philosophy from the

Hebrew University The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...

of Jerusalem in 1969. In the late sixties, while still a student, Sgan-Cohen began writing short articles on art for the literary and cultural supplement of the daily newspaper Haaretz (edited by Benjamin Tammuz). Between 1969 and 1978 Sgan-Cohen lived in Los Angeles and New York state. In 1973 he earned his MA degree in

art history Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

from the

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Franci ...

(UCLA) in Los Angeles. Sgan-Cohen moved to New York in late 1973 to study with the art historian and critic

Leo Steinberg Leo Steinberg (July 9, 1920 – March 13, 2011) was a Russian-born American art critic and art historian. Life Steinberg was born in Moscow, Russian SFSR, the son of Isaac Nachman Steinberg, a Jewish lawyer and Socialist Revolutionary Party polit ...

. During this period, he was associated with the "New York Group" of Israeli artists including Pinchas Cohen-Gan, Benny Efrat, Michael Gitlin and Buky Swchartz. In 1976 he began to work as an artist. In 1978 Sgan-Cohen had his first solo exhibition at the Kibbutz Gallery in Tel Aviv. During his years in New York, Sgan-Cohen taught art history at the Brooklyn College and at the

School of Visual Arts The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. History This school was started by ...

. He wrote for a number of art journals, such as Art in America,

Art Forum ''Artforum'' is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art. The magazine is distinguished from other magazines by its unique 10½ x 10½ inch square format, with each cover often devoted to the work of an artist. Notably, ...

and Art press, as well as for Hebrew journals like Mussag, Proza, Kav, Studio and Monitin. He wrote the catalogue articles for Motti Mizrahi (1988) and Ya'akov Dorchin (1990) for The

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...

curated by Adam Baruch. In 1989 Sgan-Cohen earned his PhD from the City University of New York (CUNY). His dissertation dealt with the artist and architect Frederick Kiessler, who designed the

Shrine of the Book The Shrine of the Book ( he, היכל הספר, ''Heikhal HaSefer'') is a wing of the Israel Museum in the Givat Ram neighborhood of Jerusalem that houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Aleppo Codex, among others. History The building was construc ...

in the Israel Museum. Between 1977 and 1978 Sgan-Cohen returned to Israel and taught at

Bezalel Academy of Arts 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 oldes ...

in Jerusalem as well as at the

University of Haifa The University of Haifa ( he, אוניברסיטת חיפה Arabic: جامعة حيفا) is a university located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. Founded in 1963, the University of Haifa received full academic accreditation in 1972, becoming ...

. In 1987 he permanently settled in Jerusalem and since 1990 served as a lecturer in several Art Institutes in Israel including Oranim Academic College in Kiryat Tivon (1990–98), Kalisher Art Academy in Tel Aviv (1990–98), The School of Visual Theatre in Jerusalem (1991–94) and

in Jerusalem (1992–98). In 1993 Sgan-Cohen had a solo exhibition at the library of foyer of the

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 ...

. In 1994 he had an extensive solo exhibition at the Ramat Gan Museum of Israeli Art. The following years he had two joint exhibitions—in 1995 with Haim Maor at the Museum of Jewish Art in Bar'am and in 1996 with Tsibi Geva at Julie M. Gallery in Tel Aviv. Michael Sgan-Cohen curated two major retrospective exhibitions of the painter Lea Nickel (1995) and the sculptor Yehiel Shemi (1997) at the

. In 1997 Sgan-Cohen was the recipient of the

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 ...

Prize for Excellence in Plastic Arts and in 1998 he won the Minister of Education and Culture Prize. He died of an illness in 1999. During his life and posthumously, Sgan-Cohen's works participated in many prominent exhibitions in Israel, Europe and the U.S. Between 2004 and 2005 an extensive retrospective exhibition of his work was held at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.Michael Sgan-Cohen : A Retrospective
9 November 2004 – 21 May 2005. The Israel Museum. In August 2014 a street was named after Michael Sgan-Cohen and his father in The German Colony neighborhood in Jerusalem.

Work

Life in America sharpened Sgan-Cohen's preoccupation with

(particularly the Bible) and

and gradually led him from the theoretical articulation of ideas to visual expression. Michael Sgan-Cohen was primarily concerned with ideas. His approach to the visual arts may, accordingly, be considered "conceptual", but not in the standard art-historical kind of sense. The art object was for him a medium of reflection on the fundamental problems of

Jewish identity Jewish identity is the objective or subjective state of perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jewish. Under a broader definition, Jewish identity does not depend on whether a person is regarded as a Jew by others, or by an exter ...

, particularly of the emerging

Israeli culture The roots of the culture of Israel developed long before modern Israel's independence in 1948, and traces back to ancient Israel ( 1000 BCE). It reflects Jewish culture, Jewish history in the diaspora, the ideology of the Zionist movement that ...

. Sgan-Cohen's long stay in New York City served to sharpen his awareness of the uniqueness of the Israeli perspective in the role of Jewish culture in the life of modern Jews. His recurrent treatment of the theme of '' Nevo,'' the observation of the Land of Israel from the outside in the position of Moses before he died, attests for this deep concern, and to his attempt to form an Israeli style in the art without becoming provincial or parochial and without falling into the trap of nostalgia. A major role in Michael Sgan-Cohen's conception of art is given to the word and especially the Hebrew word. This does not only reflect the artist's preoccupation with ideas and intellectual reflection, but also his recognition of the ''text'' as the fundamental medium and subject characterizing Jewish culture. Sgan-Cohen was one of the pioneers in the sophisticated use of the Hebrew language as a means of expression in contemporary visual art. Hebrew served in his view as the bridge between Jewish heritage, particularly the Bible, and the contemporary search for Israeli cultural identity. His works are replete with the complex deployment of culturally charged Hebrew phrases and with the Hebrew Alphabet as a visual theme. The drawn or painted Hebrew word served him as the way in which a generally non-visual, verbal tradition can be approached in the visual medium. The ''Hinneni'' (1978) theme is just one example of this use of words as visual images, the word becoming a powerful effect on the eye. In other paintings, he portrayed the body in its basic "alphabetic" gestures, placed his self-portrait in a text, copied whole chapters from the bible and made writing itself into a painted image. In those actions, Sgan-Cohen's developed a unique poetic and artistic view of the visual aspects of the Hebrew word and the

Hebrew alphabet The Hebrew alphabet ( he, אָלֶף־בֵּית עִבְרִי, ), known variously by scholars as the Ktav Ashuri, Jewish script, square script and block script, is an abjad script used in the writing of the Hebrew language and other Jewi ...

. Naturally, the Bible became a major source in his art: Moses, The Akedah,

Jonah Jonah or Jonas, ''Yōnā'', "dove"; gr, Ἰωνᾶς ''Iōnâs''; ar, يونس ' or '; Latin: ''Ionas'' Ben (Hebrew), son of Amittai, is a prophet in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran, from Gath-hepher of the northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria ...

and the

Leviathan Leviathan (; he, לִוְיָתָן, ) is a sea serpent noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Amos, and, according to some ...

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

, etc. In a very ambitious and project, Sgan-Cohen made twelve large panels in which the whole text of the

Twelve Minor Prophets The Minor Prophets or Twelve Prophets ( he, שנים עשר, ''Shneim Asar''; arc, תרי עשר, ''Trei Asar'', "Twelve") ( grc, δωδεκαπρόφητον, "the Twelve Prophets"), occasionally Book of the Twelve, is a collection of propheti ...

(''Trei Assar'') were copied, a homage to the long tradition of the meticulous reproduction of the word of the prophet and at token of respect to the sanctity of the word. In his works, he thus brought together in a highly original way the sensibilities of the critical, self-reflexive

post-modern Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of moderni ...

artist who understands the late and the repetitive with those of a

modernist Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

one who appreciated the archaic and the primary. Michael Sgan-Cohen's work shifts between painting and icon, reality and myth, nostalgia and critical distance. His conceptual images capture and invigorate a whole cultural alphabet, combining iconic qualities with virtues of simplicity, depth and humour. An image of Israel's map, for example, combines the political, mythical, visual and textual languages and thereby figures the intricate and tension-ridden Israeli place as both a direct experience and an emblem branded in Zionists and Israeli minds. In another exemplary work Sgan-Cohen portrayed himself as a Kabbalist who holds in his hand the tree of spheres assembled from parts of a child's old wooden toy. Rather than dissolving into mystical trance, he foregrounds the very language game and play of the artistic-cultural act.

Gallery

File:מיכאל סגן-כהן ארון-הברית 1977.jpg, The Ark of the Covenant, 1977, Acrylic on medicine cabinet File:מיכאל סגן-כהן, משה, 1977-8.jpg, Moses, 1977-1978, Acrylic and oil sticks on canvas, Israel Museum Collection File:מיכאל סגן-כהן, תורה נביאים כתובים, 1978.jpg, Torah Prophets Writings (The Hebrew Bible), 1978 File:מיכאל סגן-כהן, הנני, 1978.jpg, Hinnenni, 1978, Print and acrylic on paper and frame File:Michael Sgan Cohen Comfort Ye Comfort Ye My People 1978.jpg, Comfort Ye, Comfort Ye, My People, 1978, Acrylic and oil sticks on wood and street sign File:מיכאל סגן-כהן, כתונת פסים, 1981.jpg, Coat of Many Colors, 1981, Acrylic on canvas, Israel Museum Collection File:מיכאל סגן-כהן, היהודי הנודד, 1983.jpg, The Wandering Jew, 1983, Acrylic and pencil on canvas File:מיכאל סגן-כהן, לויתן, 1983.jpg, Leviathan, 1983, Acrylic on canvas, Israel Museum Collection File:מיכאל סגן-כהן, מפה, 1983.jpg, Symbolic Map, 1983, Acrylic on canvas File:מיכאל סגן-כהן, התיישבות, 1992.jpg, Sitting/Settlement, 1992, Acrylic on wood File:מיכאל סגן-כהן יהודה גליל 1994.jpg, Judea Galilee, 1994, Acrylic and army rangers' tent File:מיכאל סגן-כהן, האור רואה, 1998.jpg, Haor Roeh (The Light Sees), 1998, Acrylic on canvas

Education

* 1965–1969 BA History of Art and Philosophy, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem * 1969–1973 MA History of Art, University of California, Los Angeles, US * 1989 PhD City University of New York City, New York City, US

Teaching

* 1973–1978 – Brooklyn College, New York City * 1977–1978 – Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem * 1977–1978 – University of Haifa, Haifa * 1979 – School of Visual Arts, New York City * 1990–1998 – Art Institute – Oranim Academic College, Kiryat Tivon * 1990–1998 – Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem * 1990–1998 – Kalisher Art Academy, Tel Aviv-Yafo

Solo exhibitions

* 1978 Hakibbutz Gallery, Tel Aviv * 1993 Library Foyar, Tel Aviv Museum of Art * 1994 "Michael Sgan-Cohen, Paintings, 1978 – to date", Museum of Israeli Art, Ramat-Gan * 2004 "Michael Sgan-Cohen, a Retrospective", The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Two-artist exhibitions

* 1995 "Twice over", Haim Maor and Michael Sgan-Cohen, Bar-David Museum, Bar-Am * 1996 "Painting a Land", Tzibi Geva and Michael Sgan-Cohen, Julie M. Gallery, Tel Aviv * 2008 Idan Erez / Michael Sgan-Cohen, Hamidrasha Gallery, Tel Aviv

Group exhibitions

Awards and prizes

* 1994–1999 Artist-in-residence, The Jerusalem Foundation, Jerusalem * 1998 Ministry of Education and Culture Prize * 1997 George and Janet Jaffin Prize for Excellence in Plastic Arts, America-Israel Cultural Foundation * 2001–02, 2002–03 Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, New York City

Selected art critic and writings

* Michael Sgan-Cohen, "The Jewish Experience in Art", '' Art in America'', May- June 1976, pp. 44–47 * Michael Sgan-Cohen, "Kiesler on stage and off", Theatre design, '' Art in America'', summer 1981, pp. 37–39 * Michael Sgan-Cohen, " Motti Mizrahi: A New Song", The

, 1988, The Israeli Pavilion * Michael Sgan-Cohen, " Frederick Kiesler: Artist, Architect, Visionary, A study on his work and writing", 1989, ''PhD, CUNY'', New York (A short summary that was compiled by Valentina Sonzogni for the Kiesler Foundation research department in order to add information to the status quo of the international research.) * Michael Sgan-Cohen, " Yaakov Dorchin: East of Eden", ''Dorchin'', The

, 1990, The Israeli Pavilion * Michael Sgan-Cohen, "Le Sanctuaire du Livre et L'art de transformer le superflu en nécessaire", Collection Monographie Frederick Kiesler sous la direction de Chantai Béret, ''Edition du Centre Georges Pompidou,'' 1996, pp. 229–239 * Michael Sgan-Cohen, "Ketav and Hebrew in Israeli Art" ''Flesh and Word in Israeli Art'', ''

Ackland Art Museum The Ackland Art Museum is a museum and academic unit of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It was founded through the bequest of William Hayes Ackland (1855–1940) to The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is located a ...

, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill'', (Catalogue) pp. 41–51

Selected Hebrew writings

* "Cain, artist, Wandering Jew", ''Proza'', No. 43, Dec. 1980, pp. 28–30 (Hebrew) * "Assumptions Concerning the possibility of the Birth of Jewish-Israeli Art", ''Jerusalem'', Vol. 11–12, ''Bezalel'', Feb. 1984, pp. 79–87 (Hebrew) * "Between New York and Jerusalem" ''Kav'', June 1984, pp. 64–76 (Hebrew) * "Tzeva" (color), Bezalel No.1, Feb. 1984, pp. 67–73 (Hebrew) * "A Cautious Touch of Sources", Studio, No. 14, Sept. 1990, p. 32 (Hebrew) * "Hur and Aharon – An Autointerview on Art, Religion and Israeliness", ''Studio'', No. 17, Dec. 1990 (Hebrew) * "From the Horse Mouth", ''Studio'', No. 52, April 1994, pp. 15–19 (Hebrew)

References

External links

"Michael Sgan-Cohen"
''Information Center for Israeli Art''. The Israel Museum
Michael Sgan-Cohen: A Retrospective
9 November 2004 – 21 May 2005. The Israel Museum
"Michael Sgan-Cohen"
at the Israel Museum Collection
"Michael Sgan-Cohen"
''The Bezalel Narkiss Index of Jewish Art, The Center for Jewish Art'',

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sgan-Cohen, Michael 20th-century Israeli painters 20th-century Israeli male artists Israeli contemporary artists Israeli conceptual artists Artists from Jerusalem Jewish Israeli artists 1944 births 1999 deaths Brooklyn College faculty