The ARTiculation of this week is by alumnus and long-term Ha’Am staff writer Moshe Kahn.
This is an image of Noah’s ark. There are three components to the image: the ark (can you spot the giraffe couple?), the mountain peak, and the perilous ocean waves (can you spot the fish?). The waves are not randomly placed but rather form a maze from the ark to the mountain. Perhaps God is playing a maze and created the flood when He reached a dead end and had to retrace His steps.
I made this piece in art class in middle school. It did not require too much creativity on my part. There was a selection of images and I chose this one. Perhaps this was the same process that God used to create the world.
When I create something, whether it is writing an article or coding a program, the hardest process is editing. I get attached to my creation and don’t want to admit that there are mistakes. Since when are there mistakes in art, anyway? The answer is negative if you are simply trying to express yourself, but if you want to accomplish something with your creation, then you must craft your work so that its message becomes more accessible.
The story of Noah reminds us that God did not create the world purely as a means of expressing Himself. There is a point to its creation, a message that is trying to be conveyed, and since the world had corrupted that message, God had to start over. However, God promises to never destroy the world again. The story of Noah marks a turning point in which God hands over the project of the world to Man. No longer will God create the world or destroy it; rather, He will sustain it, and it is our responsibility to perfect it. This also gives us the power to destroy it ourselves, something which we seem to be getting better at doing. The story of Noah reminds us that no matter how deep the destruction, there is always the possibility of starting fresh. We may just not be those lucky few that get to ride it out.
If you would like to create your own image, this is the process:
1. Tape an image to a sheet of metal, and place this on a piece of felt.
2. Using a metal stylus, trace over the image. This creates an indentation in the metal, or if you flip it to the other side, a protrusion of the image.
3. You can leave it, or use metal staining ink to add a splash of color.
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ARTiculations is Ha’Am’s ongoing art exhibit, curated by Rivka Cohen. We accept submissions from students all quarter long and each week, one piece of work will be published on our website. One to two pieces that especially resonate with us will be featured in our print issue, coming out November 16th. To submit a piece or request more information, send an email to [email protected].
