Reflections by the SCA

Hannah Franke, Rubin-Frankel Gallery Intern:

"The Reception was filled with eager and interested viewers who really spent time with each piece.  Each viewer seemed caught up in personal reflection, pondering both the historical events that inspired this collection as well as the pieces themselves.  The crowd, though small truly appreciated the exhibition, and we welcomed many newcomers to the Rubin-Frankel Gallery, which is extremely exciting and we hope to continue to build our dedicated group of followers."

Kim Curhan, Publicity Director:

"When I arrived to the Opening Reception, the audience seemed very focused on the images and their own thoughts about the events the images illustrated. It was a hushed atmosphere, but the beauty of the images and chamber music was very inviting. I was drawn into the lithographs and the way the layout created a conversation with the viewer."

Danielle Rives, Installation, Publicity:

Installation:
David Wander’s Holocaust Haggadah, a series of lithograph prints, tells the story of the traditional Passover. As a narrative, order means everything; from the installation stage to the viewer’s experience, the ultimate purpose of the exhibition was to communicate the artworks’ story. Myself and two other SCA members worked to bring the pages of the story alive on the walls of the Rubin Frankel Gallery by forming a dynamic, fluid arrangement of frames while preserving legibility. Viewers were to begin at the right, and read from right to left, top to bottom. Since we were unable to read the text ourselves, this proved to be quite the experience! We found ourselves becoming increasingly grateful for the corresponding imagery, using them to map from frame to frame. Holland and I made some final revisions, paying attention to what I had assumed one would consider for installation in the first place: visual communication between images, balance, and so on. Although we laid occasional upside-down or misplaced prints here and there during the planning stage, the overall arrangement, I think, held true to both the story and the aesthetic purpose of the series.

Opening Reception: 

In contrast with the opening reception of the Rubin-Frankel’s latest show, a student exhibition titled Metaphorical Body, The Wolloch Haggadah’s thoughtful audience upheld a steady energy throughout the evening, many coming and staying for the remainder of the event. Guests seemed to take a look, chat, eat and drink, enjoy the ambiance of the string quartet, and then take another look to delve even deeper into the images and narrative, often visiting and revisiting the prints. Artists, scholars, and members of the Jewish culture alike could identify with the exhibit, whether they had been familiar with the Passover story or not. Visual translation, as well as appreciation for such a labor-intensive artistic process creates accessibility in a way that transcends language or cultural barriers. Many guests that I spoke to were moved by the images, whether or not they were of the Jewish faith, and greatly enjoyed the contemplative experience of interpreting and reading the story in their own way.