Old Work

Two of these pieces are old, like 2001 old before 9/11. The colorful piece is part of a bookcover . This frontpiece is an ode to NYC, the backpiece (not shown) is an ode to Salt Lake City. These pieces both sold in 2008.

I like cities, I know them. I grew up in the mother of all cities. It's programmed into my aesthetic and instead of fighting it I just decided ot go with it.

Israel Graffiti

I am constantly inspired by the graffiti and street art in this city. Here is a sampling of some of my favorite. The streets are alive!! Enjoy.

Yom HaShoah & Some New Work

Today is Yom Hashoah and the siren went off a little while ago. Everyone stops what they are doing, in the street, on the road at home.

Most of the tv stations have stopped porgramming unless it is holocaust related . It is an experience to be here - a deep somber awarness pervades everything. There are about the same number of Jews living in Israel that were murdered in the holocaust.

There is this contrast between life and death, between that what we memorialize and that what we create. There is something unique about the experience of it here in Tel Aviv specicifically, the cultrual capital of Israel. These two paintings begin to touch on this.

Alchemy

ALCHEMY --- over the Atlantic ocean January 4 2009 , 5769


My visa is up and war is breaking out all around me . The strip, Gaza the most populated place on earth has been bombarded with the full force of the Israeli air-force for one day , three days, six days straight and as I leave for the airport the ground troops are making their way in. The ground troops. Have you seen them? Avi and Natan and Ophir. They are kids who sling their guns over their shoulders and walk like they have big back pack on their shoulders and don't want to go to class cause they didn't do their homework. FUCK. DO you understand this?

They should be going to school -in America they would be in class - they are 19 20 21 22. and I don't' have to ask if you have seen the other pictures of Gaza bloody bloody war torn bombed out ash ridden bleeding bleeding Gaza. Plastered in the news and on the radio in every language. Suffering, beyond our daily struggles, beyond the fear, the struggles, the personal despair we transform on a daily basis and yes, it is faster now and we need more support, more love ,more community.

People are gathering all over the world at embassy's and standing outside in London and Egypt and Berkely and declaring things. But what are they declaring?- because they are different things.

Hamas has been launching rockets into Israel into Sderot for the past eight years. In these villages they they make games out of protecting themselves from rocket fire and getting into bomb shelters so the children will not be afraid. It does not really work. The number of dead people have been primarily Hamas police men. Israel bombed tunnels from Egypt that have been running weapons into Gaza. Israeli soldiers DO NOT aim to kill civilians , women and children and are fighting and enemy that uses their own people as shields. It is true.

Hamas has not been launching rockets into Israel for the past eight years this is part of the propaganda that Israel wants you to believe so that Israel can go in and do what they have wanted to do and wipe out the civilian population; they are not targeting Hamas, they are preventing humanitarian aid any aid including the tunnels from Egypt that have been running in medicine and supplies to the desperate people.. It is true.

Solidarity with Gaza- but what the fuck does that mean?Solidarity with Israel – what thre fuck are we talking about !!?? Fractured land and we go along in Tel Aviv like nothing is wrong except on Shabbat with the occasional friend who has come to stay because they had a rocket hit their block in the next town over , 40 minutes to the south and she is happy and alive but shell-shocked and we will never be the same, war at home is not the same as war on tv. and war on one side of the green line is not the same as war on the other. Our massive denial of an alcoholic father can only reach such levels before it all comes crashing in.

Starhawk says it time to atone for what Israel is doing wrong , for our sins , for our story – for our error and oppression atone atone atone. say I am human I a scared I am sorry. but I am human human human and I do not know how to release that fear to go there because I love something and do not know any other way to describe it except that my roots go down in that land so deep and that is my home and it is my homeland and if there are people who want to kill me - and there are, and for it - then for that land I will put my life on the land. atone atone atone. this is true. this is not true. I am only human human human there are walls walls walls and we have been fractured.

When you say you stand in solidarity with Gaza what do you mean? do you mean you stand in solidarity with hamas who launches rockets onto people living their lives going to school eating sleeping trying to do the best you can. I do not. And when I say I love Israel. what do I mean. do I mean I stand in solidarity with the IDF bombing the people in Gaza with their undeniable force putting me closer, all of us closer, our earth mama bleeding with more death and destruction I do not.

Here is freedom- Both are true - No one has an answer. no ONE has an answer. No man behind a curtain. We each have little pieces of a solution and we can raise the sparks little by little to heal the world. simple- perhaps. Gaza is right. Israel is right. Israel is wrong. Gaza is wrong. Both are right and both are wrong. The question of right are wrong is so completely irrelevant it is a joke! and in this irrelevancy lies freedom and the space to move forward. Feel that – let it go and realize the freedom ---- there are spaces that open up when we let ideas of right and wrong fall away. I PROMISE YOU THIS There is space to move forward- there is hope…. As long as there is Love
xoxo

Update # 5

Shalom Friends,

I am sure many of you have been following the news or at least seen some accounts of the horrific destruction in the Gaza Strip. I found myself waiting and wanting to receive and email with some comforting words or some in depth account and opportunity to participate in some peace work - well so far nothing has come to my inbox and the lyrics from one of my favorite poets, Bob Dylan keeps ringing in my ear. So, "I guess it must be up to me".

It was three years ago when Hamas was democratically elected into power. I was here when it happened and I remeber that there was a glimmer of hope that I and others had that maybe there would be some opporutnity for change and growth and a conversation between two nations. I don't think Israel could ever accept that they were expected to dialogue with Hamas as Hamas does not accept Israel as stated in its charter. This was not an acceptable government to be working with though it was what the poeple had chosen and unfortunalety people in Gaza have been living in terrible conditions- this is not Israel's fault however they have not made it any easier. Flash forward three years and Israel has declared all out war on Hamas.

A little less then two weeks ago the 6 month ( Egyptian brokered ?) ceasefire between Israel and Hamas controlled Gaza came to an end. Hamas began launching rockets at a fairly steady pace into Israel. Most of these rockets landed in unihabited areas although more recently they are reaching into populated areas. There was talk of renegotiating the ceasefire and there still is and It seemed that Israel was about to open the border to allow humanitarian aid into the strip and then something happened, another rocket attack, and Israel very rapidly withdrew its allowance of aid into the strip and when the weather was right launced the air attack.

Over 300 people have been killed (mostly Hamas police officers) and over 1700 people ( mostly civilians) have been wounded. I am so close to all of this and also still so far away from it. Just today I saw a man throw a rock at another man but all and all I am pretty saffe. There is added security here now and I am more alert.

The waiting for weather reminded me of what the Jewish partisans would say. "The snow and rain were our friends . The moon was our enemy." On a clear night you can see your target. It is strange to look at these things, the clouds, the sun, the star and think of them as signs as to whether or not there will be more damage and destruction.

I am hoping to go to a Critical Mass bike Ride for Peace on Thursday in Tel Aviv. I was in Jaffa today , south of Tel Aviv when I heard the call to prayer. I hope we all can pray for peace or at least pray for policies that take us one step closer down that road and pray for the cesation of policies and practices that take us further away from it.

Love and Light
Jan LaurenDharanaChana Leah

Update # 4

As we grow into a particular culture or language, we implicitly begin to structure our sensory contact with the earth around us in a particular manner, paying attention to certain phenomena while ignoring others, differentiation textures, tastes, and tones in accordance with the verbal contrasts contained in the language. "

- David Abram, Spell of the Sensuous

Shalom Friends,
I am writing from Tel Aviv and I can't believe that for most of you who are on the east-coast it is really December - snowy and cold. I have been here for two months and am investigating ways to extend my three month visa, for another three months. It may mean a trip to Petra, Jordan for a day or two which is not so terrible!

I want to let you all know that though I am feeling so much better I did take a little journey to the hospital this past week . My body had been fighting off numerous infections for a while and it all seemed to be a bit overwhelming so when the fever and chills and pain came on I took myself to the hospital. Then to top it all off I took a big spill on my bike last night and banged up my knee and my bike :( total bummer.


All my big plans for surfing and Jewish learning are on the back burner. Much of my days have been spent sleeping and drinking lots of liquids. I feel so lucky to be in such a beautiful place and even though I have been here for such a short while to already have friends and "family" to rely on. As I am writing this, I have a big smile on my face and for the most part remain in good spirits.


I don't have much to report. Some of you may have been following the developing story of the terrible situation in the Gaza strip and the attack on civilians in Hebron by Jewish settlers. I was glad to be at an orthodox service in Tel Aviv with the famous Rav Yehoshua who spoke out against the action of the settlers and called on the rest of the Jewish community to do the same. I am also glad that Israel has decided to allow aid workers and journalist back into the strip.

I came across this poem in an article in the Jerusalem Report. The poem was written by the Romanian born Dan Pagis who spent much of his childhood in a concentration camp. He moved to Israel after the war and became a famous Hebrew poet.

"Written in Pencil in a Sealed Boxcar"
Here in this transport
I am Eve
with Abel my Boy
If you see my elder son
Cain the human being

Tell him I


Through the poem and the article the author relates his message to his son that the holocaust was perpetrated not by supernatural beings or by monsters but by human beings and that we as human beings have the power both to create and destroy. It is up to us what we chose.
I did have the good fortune to connect with an amazing artist whom I had wanted to meet. It seems as if some projects may be on the horizon and I am continuing to work with the Jewish Partisan Foundation on some exciting exhibitions with the work of another incredible Partisan named Alexander Bogen.

Healing vibes, thoughts and prayers are welcome.
I am going to begin intensive Hebrew classes tomorrow- an investment in further exploration of life in Israel.
I hope you and your loved ones are well and warm.

xoxo,
Jan Lauren Dharana Chana Leah

Update # 1

"To touch the coarse skin of a tree is thus, at the same time, to experience one's tactility, to feel oneself touched by the tree. And to see the world is also, at the same time, to experience oneself as visible, to feel oneself seen." - David Abram, Spell of the Sensuous

Shalom Beautiful Friends
I think part of why I love traveling so much is because it gives me an opportunity to send out heartfelt emails to all my loved ones :)
Israel is both familiar and totally crazy. What can I say - I love it! I am beyond words at the kindness, hospitality and abundance I have been shown here.

The first few days I spent in Israel were in Jerusalem and they are beyond beyond - Para Gate. I arrived in time for Yom Kippur- the holiest day of the Jewish year. There were no cars on the street and everyone was dressed in all white.

I walked to the Kottel (the wall) in the old city of Jerusalem. I mean wow- what a trip to be in the holiest city on the holiest day at the holiest place ! You know that saying "wherever you go there you are". Well the cosmic joke was very loving and gentle but very apparent and I really had a good laugh :)

After that I went to Bat Ayin, a little south of Jerusalem outside the green line (1967 borders of Israel) and to a very orthodox community - neither of which I knew until I arrived. Long skirt, long shirt and I was ready to learn and celebrate my favorite Jewish holiday- Sukkot.

Some of the beauty of Sukkot is in the instructions of how to build the sukkah - the impermanent dwelling . It has all these specifications for height but none in regards to how wide it can be - in other words we can build a tent of peace large enough for the whole world to sit under. In Jewish terms the path to enlightenment is not about transcenedece but in very much the material world - simplified it is "The Ability to Bare Paradox". This I love.

I made some wonderful connections to some great women - some of whom have traveled to Tzfat with me but Bat Ayin is an intense place and I was somewhat relieved to return back to Jerusalem. I spent the evening walking around, Nachlaot , a wonderful neighborhood where I may live in December. The next morning I headed out to Haifa to visit with my cousins.

It was good to be "home" or my home away from home and one night I slept so well and woke up feeling like I was in my parents house. I left there this morning and am now in Tzfat, a beautiful old city in Israel which attracts many Kabbalists and artistsI have heard Tzfat compared to both the Greenwich village and the Woodsotck of Israel. B0oth made me smile :)
I am writing from the porch at the Livnot campus(where I once saw a beautful double rainbow <3>

I may stay here for a few weeks until I need to got to Tel Aviv to work. I forgot how much I missed the forest until I saw it again!

To all of those who dropped me emails - thank you they are apprecuated and I appologize If I didn't have a chance to write you back. I will do my best to get back to each of you.
So much love and gratitude,
DharanaJan Lauren Chana Leah