Few artists have journeyed as extensively or
intensively as painter Yisrael K. Feldsott. Beginning in 1978,
Feldsott left behind his role as a rising star in the art world to
immerse and involve himself in the rich yet endangered ecologies
and cultures of Central and South America.
In his historic,
first US exhibition in over 25 years, Feldsott offers dazzling
visions of the worlds he has visited abroad.
“Los Icaros de
la Pintura” can be roughly translated as “Painted Songs,”
though an icaro is much more than melody and lyrics. Icaros are
sacred songs of shamanic power, sung to restore the health and
vitality of an individual or the entire community. While stories
and themes are often shared, each shaman may have his or her own
icaros and develop a personal style to tell them. As Feldsott
absorbed the history and wisdom of indigenous American cultures,
he was moved to share his own icaros in visual forms.
These works do
not depict typical scenes nor do they use realism to depict what
one might see in the lush rainforests of Central or South America.
Instead, bold shapes, dazzling colors and lines of heroic energy
transport the viewer deeper into the spiritual realms of these
places.
Notably, the
images that relate most specifically to time and place include
modern weaponry and refer to recent violence. In stark contrast to
sunnier notions of westernization and progress, Feldsott seems to
warn of discord, disruption and destruction. Like the rest of the
“Icaros,” they are grounded in his direct experience.
After a dozen
shows in the 1970s, including three solo exhibitions and two group
shows at San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art, Feldsott became
less interested in commercial success and felt compelled to
explore the world beyond our borders. His passionate reactions
lead him to activism. In 1986, he was a founding member of the
Forest Island Project, which combines ecological restoration and
cultural conservation in Veracruz, Mexico. He has also been
involved in the Matico Foundation, an agency in the Ecuadorian
Amazon that promotes intercultural dialogue about health care as
well as providing health care that honors multiple healing
modalities. Feldsott found his own path as a healer, learning the
lore and absorbing the wisdom of traditional shamans. Upon his
return to the states, he co-founded a health center in Bolinas, CA
dedicated to traditional medicine.
In 2003, at the
Fundacion Guayasamin in Equito, Equador, Feldsott revealed thirty
of his “Icaros” for the first time to the public. In the
exhibit catalogue, Feldsott says, “…It is clear that the gift
of this exhibition came as an invitation to start giving back some
of what I have received and as a new opportunity to contribute to
the enrichment of universal culture.”
A similar impulse
and set of circumstances moved him to show this work at the Blue
Room Gallery.
The Blue
Room Gallery will have his paintings on display until June 13,
2004.
The gallery is
open Wednesday through Sunday, 1-9pm.
A percentage of
all proceeds from Feldsott’s work will be donated to support
traditional health care and indigenous people in the Amazon.
For more
information regarding exhibits or gallery programs, please contact
Executive Director Paul Mahder at 415.282.8411 or Paul@blueroomgallery.org.
Or go to: BlueRoomGallery.org
