Gender Bents

Shades of Sexual Identity

Since the beginning of time, one of the fundamental principals of Western culture is the presupposition of the existence of two sexes: male and female. In nature however these distinctions are not so clear-cut: sexual identity does not appear in the form of two clearly defined dichotomies, but in a wide spectrum of intermediary states between the two.

The focus on gender identities and their variants is a principle informant of post – modernism thought and creation. Sociologists and art theorists believe that art has the ability to call our attention to the tears in our social fabric and to passé ideas by sharpening our manner of looking at values and accepted social norms. Works of art can contribute to the creation of a new way of looking at one’s self and world that is suited to our constantly changing reality.

The current exhibition presents different variations on the theme of sexual identities in Israeli Art. These can be broken down into three main modes of exploring the subject. The first draws upon ancient sources and is concerned with myth dealing with the change from one sexual identity to the other and the mixing of these identities. The second focuses on the uncertainty of the individual with regard to her/his latent sexual identity through self-portraiture. The third form strays from the context of individual expression, addressing societal attitudes toward the problem of sexual identity in the post – modern era.
Artists: Na’ama Cohavi, Reuven Cohen, Miriam Gamburd, Dagna Ganani, Gary Goldstein, Boaz Kaizman, Carina Kaye, Pamela Levy, Jacob Mishory, Rena Negrin, Hava Raucher, Roee Rosen, Dalit Sharon, Simcha Shirman, Daniel Wajman.