Charles Michael Lecture: Norman Kleeblatt

Disobedient Images: Confronting Art, Questioning Meaning

Even before the culture wars of the 1980s and early 1990s, Jewish artists and institutions wrestled with issues concerning the parameters of Jewish subject matter. Artists sometimes expressed their identity through images that appeared transgressive. Artists from other backgrounds also wrestled with subjects sacred to Jewish culture. What is the meaning of a crucifixion painted by a Jew? How do we interpret contemporary depictions of the horrors of the Third Reich? How can contemporary culture exhibit, publish and confront anti-Semitic imagery? Curator Norman L. Kleeblatt examines a broad range of imagery to deepen our understanding of artistic and social struggles that have addressed or confronted issues of personal identity, racism and prejudice.

A talk on the same topic will be delivered at the Jewish Community Center in San Francisco on Wednesday, May 28 at 8:00pm. Free! Advanced reservations required (call 415.292.1233 or email Arts@jccsf.org).

Photo Credit: Nikolai De Vera