Controversy in Jewish Art

“Artists must continue the conquest of new territory and new taboos"
- Norman Rosenthal, Director of the Royal Academy of Arts, London

New developments, trends and genres in the art world are often started by upcoming artists who explore new ideas and push boundaries. As time has moved on and contemporary art has moved with it, controversy has somehow always managed to keep up. Throughout the last century we can find examples of individual artists or groups who rock the status quo with innovation and often go on to be major contributors to the world of art, such as Picasso or Dali.

The Turner prize has almost become an annual acceptance of controversy in art. It was established in 1984 with the aim of acknowledging and supporting the work of contemporary artists based in the country and the exhibition of work by the short-listed artists and the announcement of the winner often sparks large scale controversy in the media.

Next week, a young and upcoming Jewish artist, Leo Cohen, will be in conversation at the LJCC. Raised in an Orthodox family, Cohen draws on his background to explore the place of homosexuals and lesbians in the Orthodox community. His art has been described as controversial. He has photographed himself tattooed with words from of the Shema and in his work he explores often sensitive topics such as the Holocaust and sexuality in religion.

In exploring these themes, Leo Cohen is pushing the boundaries of art and religion and he will be talking about how his background has influenced his work. He does not set out to be radical and disturbing, but intends to provide his audience with thought engaging works that encompass notions of modernity and social change.

Given the view quoted above by Norman Rosenthal, and based on recent Turner prize winners, controversy in art seems to be a platform from which to launch a successful career in the artistic world. 

We could be seeing a lot more of this artist. Catch him while you can.