Obj. ID: 13880
Modern Jewish Art   Sgan-Cohen, Untitled

A bare tree trunk grows from a dark brown rock depicted against a hilly desert background with the sun on the right rising over a gray hill against a blue sky. An oval shape is set over the middle part of the tree formed by many overlapping lines. A black thread curves around the bottom side of the oval. The black roots of the tree penetrate down into the rock beneath into a pale rounded shape inscribed with the following Hebrew words written in black block letters which can be read either as: בצלאל or: בצלעץ. The first reading of the word can be understood as Bezalel, the artist of the sanctuary in the desert whose name means `in the shadow of God' or "Onion of God." The second reading can be understood as the "Bulb of the tree." The last reading conforms to the shape of the root deep in the rock. A red imprint of the artist's palm is set in the middle of the oval along the hidden part of the trunk.