Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story, now deleted, inadvertently carried the wrong photograph.
By Eva Trieger
SAN DIEGO- Two local artists combined their respective inspiration to create a mini-exhibit as part of a Curation class at University of San Diego. Joshua Levi, photographer, musician, and poet, and Mara Friedlaender, painter, both graduates of San Diego Jewish Academy, displayed this installation last week.
“When You Leave” illuminated the sense of heartbreak, “melancholic” air that follows the departure of a loved one. In the case of this exhibit it may be a lover or friend, or the unwelcome loss of a family member. For Levi, the former, for Friedlaender, the latter.
Levi reported that he recalled the “Kodak moments” of his youth, and that his parents encouraged his foray into photography by providing him with a disposable camera to document family summer vacations. As a young man, Levi extrapolated this into capturing and commemorating fragments of time, and became cognizant of how ephemeral “each moment of our lives are.” This interest blossomed into a love for art and fashion design, which Levi expresses so well in his black and white photographs. The photographs were accompanied by poems and poignant captions.
Previous to this exhibit, the artists collaborated for the magazine Entityy, which was started by another San Diego Jewish Academy alumni. With an offering of 54 inches of space, Levi invited Friedlaender to show her work. “Home” is a colorful abstract canvas. The work was started a few months ago and has been a personal process, as Friedlaender is currently exploring where her post college years will direct her. Whether she pursues Marine Biology or not, the painter is keenly aware that she will always take up her brush, as the medium is a part of her, and “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
All the works in this show were born of heartbreak. Both of the artists shared that their works have enabled them to “grapple with the challenges we are handed in life,” and that mark-making of the works allows the artist to grow, providing the impetus to “start over and evolve.”
The artists told me that they are “frequently misunderstood” placing them in good company with other “degenerate artists” including Jean DuBuffet, Max Ernst, and Paul Klee. After reading the poetry, and ingesting the photos and canvas, I hope to see more works from this talented duet.
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Trieger is a freelance writer who specializes in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eva.trieger@sdjewishworld.com Comments intended for publication in the space below MUST be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the United States).