Loving this year’s national Independence Day or Yom Haatzmaot poster celebrating 64 years. Designed by Shlomit Tsur, a graduate of visual communications at Shenkar, and illustrated by Gustavo Viselner. (Id love to find more information about the artists if anyone has any leads, my searches didnt yield much.)

Anyway, the picturesque imagery strikes at the heart of what constitutes our identity, our land and our people: water. Nourishing us, sustaining us and what we all need to live, from plants to people. This year let’s be good to our Land, ourselves, our people and others. Happy 64, Israel, and many more…

While I was hibernating the past few, um, months, a few exciting new initiatives/ sites have cropped up from Israel that Id like to feature this week. I’m not just talking about Twitter feeds for Israeli cultural events in NY or newsletters about Israeli art exhibitions, I’m talking about real interactive, innovative and exciting projects/ organizations/ sites/ etc that elevate Israeli art to a new level of engagement. And so, to kick things off, and perhaps clarify what I mean, take a look at ST-ART, “the first Israeli artist incubator project”.

Founded in 2008 by Serge Tiroche, ST-ART aims to advance new and young Israeli artists through a mentoring program that, much like venture capitalists offer business entrepreneurs, guides them through the business side of the art world.

Each year, four to six talented art school graduates are hand-picked by Tiroche and CEO and curator Dana Hasson, for a two year “incubator period” in which artists exhibit in Israel and abroad and meet with leading figures in today’s art scene, from gallery owners to critics to collectors.

“About 90 percent of art school graduates, estimates Tiroche, give up on a fulltime career as an artist within a year or two,” says Tiroche. An astonishing – and saddening – statistic that ST-ART clearly hopes to overturn.

For more on ST-ART, check out this recent article in the Jerusalem Post or visit their website. Or, head on down to see the excitement for yourself at ST-ART 3, featuring works by Michel Platnick and Michal Shafnir, currently on view at HaTsedef 8 in Jaffa.

Above: Untitled, 2009 by Michal Shafnir

Oy, so I didn’t make it a Sunday update this week but all in good time. Because essentially, the biggest news to hit the art-and-design-o-sphere comes this week from Comic Con: Israeli comic book artist and illustrator Rutu Modan was just awarded an Eisner Award for Best New Graphic Novel in 2008 for her work, Exit Wounds.

Set in modern-day Tel Aviv, A young man, Koby Franco, receives an urgent phone call from a female soldier. Learning that his estranged father may have been a victim of a suicide bombing in Hadera, Koby reluctantly joins the soldier in searching for clues. His death would certainly explain his empty apartment and disconnected phone line. As Koby tries to unravel the mystery of his father’s death, he finds himself not only piecing together the last few months of his father’s life, but his entire identity. With thin, precise lines and luscious watercolors, Modan creates a portrait of modern Israel, a place where sudden death mingles with the slow dissolution of family ties.

I’m not so sure that today’s Israel can be so easily categorized as a place where family ties are not strong. In fact, I believe quite the opposite is true. And you’ll find Israel’s biggest ‘celebrities’ eating Friday night dinner with their families before going out to the ‘hottest’ clubs. (I put that all in quotes because it’s all so (ir)relevant, celebrity, fame, stardom, etc…) But don’t let that detract from interest in or attention for the work. For sure, it’s a prestigious award that was bestowed on one of Israel’s decorated and renowned illustrators. So if anyone gets their hands on a copy and has a chance to read it, let us know what you think of the theme.

And in the meantime, we can all agree that the images, as they relate to the topics of terror and death, are indeed breathtaking. There’s something of an older aesthetic or vintage look in the work, as if it draws upon the historical element of Tel Aviv despite its newness of subject and view. Whether it’s by the coloring of the page, the people captured in the street scenes, or the simplicity of the fonts used as conversations. Check out a 5 page excerpt from the novel here.

Photos of Steven Wiltshire’s finished drawing of Jerusalem – including a few words from the artist himself on the experience – have been posted, by yours truly, over at Jerusalemite – The Jerusalem Culture Guide. I’ll be posting at Jerusalemite on art and culture in the Holy City but, don’t worry, dear readers, you’re still first on my must-tell list.

In fact, for those of you who have stuck out my intermittent posting this past month, I’d like to make it up to you. I’m thinking next week will be a payback week with two – count ‘em two – posts per day. This way I’ll repay all you who came to Designist only to discover, much to your dismay, that I still hadn’t posted anything new. So, in my two-fer IOU payback plan, one post will be new and current and the other will come from my (huge) pile of things I meant to write about, half started or left as a draft over the past few weeks. It should be fun – almost like time traveling, but with style. Looking forward to seeing you twice daily next week!

1948-58:

Tel Aviv’s distinctive Bauhaus style reflects a strong tradition of art and craft that was brought over from Europe. But the slight alterations – replacing windows with balconies and increasing shaded areas through added cornices – account for the Middle Eastern climate thereby introducing an Israeli element to an International Style. Or perhaps recreating an older aesthetic within a new, Israeli style of living. In 2003, Tel Aviv is declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and renamed the “White City“.

1959-68:

Don’t let these bathing beauties distract you from the real excitement of the decade: Gottex. Founded in 1949 by Leah and Ermine Gottleib, Jewish immigrants from Hungary, as a raincoat company, they turned a quick 180 degrees toward the Mediterranean sun – in recognition of our more defining climate. With Gottex’s revolutionary introduction of Spandex (yes, you can blame Israel for that one), bathing suits became lighter and clingier, allowing for Gottex to pioneer two significant swimwear crazes. First, as hemlines rose in the swinging 60s, bathing suits hiked in all directions – thanks to the miracles of Spandex and other light fabrics developed by Gottex. Second, and this relates to later decades of partying and excess as well, Gottex put glamour and fashion onto the beach. And with Gottex the concept of luxury swimwear was born and bred.

1969-78:

If you thought many of Israel’s corporate logos, symbols, posters or advertisements had something in common, you were right. They were either designed or influenced by Israeli graphic artist extraordinaire Dan Reisinger. Born in Yugoslavia in 1934, Reisinger’s talents were quickly identified and he was sent to study at Jerusalem’s prestigious Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Reisinger’s prolific career has enjoyed incredible hometown and international success. He has designed more than 200 social, political and cultural images and posters in Israel, including 150 logos that have become part and parcel of our everyday living. Together they serve as a visual timeline marking Israel’s most significant historical, social, economic and cultural developments over the decades. In 1971-76, Reisinger designed what we have all come to know and love (or loathe) in the form of ElAl’s corporate logo – the slanted letters, mixed Hebrew and English, blue and white. Above is a destination poster to travel with ElAl which was part of a series from 1968-71. The graphic, abstract and modern-meets-traditional, almost nostalgic but contemporary, aesthetic of Reisinger’s work continues to influence.

1979-1988:

Just like disco its moves and grooves, so too, in a way, did the artwork of Yaakov Agam. And as the excessive and hyperextended 80s took over, Agam’s kinetic, geometric and highly colorful, conceptual art found its place in the middle of Tel Aviv’s bustling metropolis. In the form of a rotating sound and light water fountain that, along with the angular blocks of color – that really change as you look at them from different angles, represent the elements of Water and Fire. Agam’s experiments with optical, kinetic and experiential art left an indelible imprint on our canon. In this case, the spectacle placed within and about Tel Aviv’s most important crosswalk shows the city gaining a self-awareness – or perhaps a self-imposed importance – of its position as the (cultural) center of the country.

1989-1998:

I can’t say enough about Ron Arad. I love, love, love him. He’s an incredible designer. World renown. Amazingly innovative and challenging at the same time. And from Israel. In 1989, Arad’s rapidly increasing fame and reputation for chair and furniture design led him to establish Ron Arad Associates in London. In 1994, again owing to growing success, he added a studio workshop in Italy to increase production of his studio pieces. Seating and shelvingare just some of his more famous designs that are currently either on view at major museums around the world or on sale for respectable (read: incredibly high) prices at prestigious auction houses. But with design gaining mass popularity and media attention these days, its the talent that makes Ron Arad a household name – not just the pricetag.

1999-2008 and beyond:

The Israeli Design Center in Holon where the past, present and future come together and forge ahead. Both the culmination of years of amazing art and design efforts from Israel and the (final) destination for future ones. Designed by none other than Ron Arad, the Museum’s voluminous shapes take on larger-than life presence as it guides the visitor’s experience both inside and out through a range of spirals, swirls and enveloping colored building materials (steel, concrete, stone, glass, etc). Obviously an amazing homage to Arad’s own legacy – since the works to be displayed inside the museum were undoubtedly influenced by him. Headed by Dr. Razi Amiatay, in consultation with Professor Ezri Tarazi, a celebrated designer, teacher and arts advocate in his own right, the Israeli Design Center has been gaining speed and prominence both locally and internationally with a great website (albeit in Hebrew only for now), events and conferences welcoming prominent figures from abroad, and a burgeoning student and independent artists and designers community. It is literally and figuratively the space to watch for our art and design future.

The above post was created specially for 60bloggers.com where 60 bloggers celebrate 60 years of Israel with 60 days of posts on Zionism to politics and everything in between.

“The Human Camera” has landed in Jerusalem. Or at least, he has circled above it and surveyed our holy streets. Sounds like something straight out of Marvel comics, but this is real life. A real man. An accomplished artist. And an extraordinary talent – or, dare I say, power.

Internationally renown British cityscape illustrator Stephen Wiltshire has come to cast his eye and hand across the city of Jerusalem in honor of its 40th anniversary of reunification. Wiltshire has garnered much critical attention for his large-scale, hand-drawn replicas of such congested cities as London, New York, Tokyo and Rome, because he recreates the cities – down to their very last street corner – after surveying the areas from a helicopter for just an hour or two. If you don’t believe me, check out this amazing video on YouTube showing Wiltshire’s artistic practice in action in Rome. The exact duplicate of the Colosseum – and I mean exact – is just incredible.

Identified at age three as autistic, Wiltshire’s creative and developmental outlet was quickly recognized through his complicated and realistic drawings of scenes and objects ranging from animals to London’s buses to buildings. Yeah, I didn’t mention the autism factor until paragraph three, and Queen Elizabeth II didn’t do so at all two years ago when she dubbed Wiltshire a Member of the Order of the British Empire, in recognition of his services to the art world.

Wiltshire’s first word, at age eight, was “paper,” and ever since then, he’s been producing artwork that has been featured in documentaries, galleries, exhibitions and books around the globe. In addition to demonstrating his amazing abilities in cities across the globe, Wiltshire also promotes autistic research and awareness and runs creative workshops for children with autism.

Having landed in Israel this past Sunday, Wiltshire spent one hour flying over Jerusalem and studying our sacred city. He will spend the next few days recreating the city from memory on a four-meter-long canvas – and I’m pretty darn sure he’ll have all the right stones in their ancient quarters. The finished masterpiece will be auctioned off with a portion of the proceeds going to support child education and autism research in Israel. Wiltshire will also lead art activities for children with autism at two schools in Jerusalem during his four-day visit.

Above, Stephen Wiltshire draws Tokyo as part of a BBC documentary on his artwork and creative process called Extraordinary People: The Human Camera.

{ Featured on Jerusalemite – The Jerusalem Culture Guide }

It goes without saying that I’m a big fan of Etsy. I can spend hours looking for artwork, crafts, toys, clothes – you name it and I’ve searched for it, either to purchase to inspire. I’ve also featured several Israeli artists from Etsy on Designist Dream like Rafya by Alona Lahav and Shirae by Shira Sela. Since posting about them and others just a few months ago, the number of Israelis selling through Etsy has soared. Perhaps the above Hebrew manual on How to Sell on Etsy by Israeli crafter and artist raisinlike has helped many throw their creative mitts into the crafty ring.

Just yesterday though it seems that somewhere in the Etsy community, a link was posted to Designist Dream. I’m thrilled to be noticed and recommended by Etsy sellers, buyers and fans, but I can’t seem to find the link or post. Can anyone send me the link, please? Thanks and happy crafting whether you’re in Israel or elsewhere in the world.

In the meantime, here are some interesting links about Israeli designers and artists making waves in the news:

~ The Wall Street Journal asks, “Is it art or just really expensive furniture?” Great question. Great article. And leading the discussion visually – the first photo featured – is Israeli design legend Ron Arad‘s aluminum “After Thought” series (2007), at the Jablonka gallery space at the Frieze Art Fair last fall as featured above. Also peppering the discussion are works by Israeli design superstar Arik Levy.

~ Israeli contemporary artist Michal Rovner is interviewed in the Brooklyn Rail as her installation piece Makom II, meaning place or location, finishes its last week on view at the Pace Wildenstein Gallery.

~ For those of you in West Palm Beach, Florida, the Armory Art Center is celebrating Israeli Art month with an exhibition on Israeli textile art called “A Common Thread”. The month-long exhibition is accompanied by lectures and workshops by Israeli designers in the fields of fashion, jewelry and textiles.

I am pleased to invite you all to next week’s Re-Design Your Workspace, Israel Style. I’ll be covering all things work and office space related including lighting, desktop accessories, office space furniture and general decor. It’ll be cool, colorful, collectible and creative. And hopefully it will look something like the amazingly inspiring workspace featured above by Israeli designer Daniel Fintzi. Now living in Shanghai and collaborating on some very interesting projects, Fintzi will tell us more about his work in general, approach to creativity and the story and approach behind this cool office. So it’s a work in process – ha ha very punny – but it’s going to be great. See you there!

Weekly Wrap Up:

~ Israeli designers ranked high in Designboom’s Dining in 2015 competition. Including top honors for the Fragile breakable salt and pepper shaker by Mey Kahn and Boaz Kahn.

~ To celebrate my birthday I put together a wishlist of (the most expensive) items I wish I owned, ranging from Ron Arad to Arik Levy to Mike Darnell.

Links I’m Loving:

- Israeli design on the super-trendy Daily Candy: Shlomi Yagur is an Israeli-born designer now heading his own product design and development company in Denmark and NY. Multi4m, gets prime billing for this cute elephant lamp on a network TV morning talk show. Check it out here. (Thanks for the link, Shlomi!)

~ A very happy welcome to readers of The Honey, an e-newsletter about life, style, culture and fun in Israel. The Honey loved the Pita Pockets by Anat Safran that I featured on Designist a little while ago and were happy to shout it out on their recent issue. Thanks and check out their newsletter for other fun and trendy things to do – or going on in Israel.

~ And I’m not sure what to make of this Tel Aviv-based fashion house Spunk Fashion. I can pick out some items in the photographs that I would wear but only totally differently – like with a pair of jeans or classic trousers not with the items shown. It seems like the presentation is slightly weird here. Is it just me? Or is it just a very European trendy catalogue look that I’m not vibing with?

Have a great weekend and see you next week for some Israel-style work space re-design!

In no particular order of preference (Mom):

1. I like being organized, but even straight bookshelves have a way of being so… boring. But not with one of these (red please) super cool Bookworm bookshelves by superstar Israeli and international design legend Ron Arad. Sooo cool, I’m drooling (not cool).

2. These beautiful bowls and vases by Israeli ceramicist Marcelle Klein. I love how they reflect the texture and feel of nature despite a smooth marble-like exterior and abstracted organic shape. Simple and clean yet evocative and dreamy. My favorite.

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3. Usher in the age of enlightenment with these gorgeous pendant lamps by (one of) my favorite Israeli designers Arik Levy. The ‘minishakes.mgx’ designed for materialise are similar to Levy’s Shaman pendant necklace. Both are made of epoxy and rendered in a deep amber-brown color. To me, they seem sensual and casual. Arranged in a cluster of three (like in the photo) at different heights it’s an interesting twist on a chandelier-style lighting fixture for a bedroom no?

4. I love the layering of these gorgeous gold ‘Four’ rings by Israeli jewelry designer Orit Ivshin. A modern design within a handmade aesthetic. And it’s four rings in one – practically a beautiful bargain.

5. This amazing pop-goes-digital-references-an-older-classic-work-and-is-awesome print by my friend and Israeli artist Mike Darnell. A redux of the classic and ubiquitous sheep artwork by Israeli artist Menashe Kadisman. This sheep makes me smile.