|
PROJECT
ARTISTIC BACKGROUND
Memory,
time and imagination constitute the basis of Steve
Sabella’s art projects. This is clearly evident when
reviewing his previous works which he has presented in
six solo exhibitions starting from the mid-nineties of
the last century. They are all interconnected and
inherent in every artwork. However, they were
manifested differently through the use of special
photographic techniques, light boxes, stones, wooden
boxes, mental images, and also through the human body
itself.
Steve Sabella, self
portrait 1995.
Jerusalem, where Steve was born in its Old City, has
been the inspiration for these elements even though
Jerusalem may not have directly appeared in his artworks
in the beginning. Due to its vast symbolic meaning and
importance, Jerusalem becomes a problematic artistic
subject that positions any artist in front of the
challenges of not falling into clichés and kitsch.
However, people following the sequence of Steve's
artworks are bound to notice that Jerusalem unites his
artworks like a strong thread of light, where he
exceptionally managed to free himself from such pitfalls
to find, as Artist Kamal Boullata wrote, "...a
Jerusalem where he might breathe fresh air."
This
thread started to become clear in his artwork Till
the end spirit of the place in 2004 where he
presented images of Jerusalem printed on stones he
carried from private and intimate places. He attempted
to capture the memory and the threatening transformation
of the place. In Kan Yam Kan, his work underwent
an artistic transition, and focused more on the human
condition by exploring life and his surroundings from a
wider perspective that involved collaboration with other
artists.
His
treatment of the concept of Memory developed and
evolved through a cohesive artistic vision, and these
works transcend their context and intersect now with the
ideological and historical values of the culture at
large.
Memory,
time and imagination are manifested in this project in
an even a more dynamic space—in the minds and
imagination of people. It appears that all Steve's
previous art projects were simply preparing the stage
for jerusalem in exile – tangible memories.
|
