Pichpuch

Daily occurrences, human interactions, and large splotches of color converge in Jonathan Gold’s new body of work. Raised on the ideals of kibbutz society, in a world where the other is inseparable from one’s existential being, Gold turns his gaze to the community. His paintings over the years have been marked by a refined, meticulous attention to socialization processes, while reflecting on the individual’s place in relation to the collective.

The new paintings in the exhibition “Pichpuch” distill another layer of insight into the human. In a landscape bathed in vibrant colors, in shades of blue and green—the default colors of nature that evoke tranquility—a profound moment unfolds in the blink of an eye, disrupting the pastoral serenity of the scene; like growing pains.

The figures are reflected in the water reservoirs scattered across the paintings in an elusive moment of transformation: an elderly woman hesitantly steps into the water, opposite lively boys; an adolescent girl moves away from the group. While still in a liminal stage, moving about in ambiguity and disorientation, Gold identifies the occurrence and softly guides the viewer’s gaze towards them through the painting.

The raw materials and their application on the canvas play a pivotal role in drawing the viewer’s gaze into the elusive, outlying mental realms, which he explores. Gold, who mixes his own colors, employs a traditional technique rooted in ancient Egypt. By blending beeswax, ammonia, and pigments, he produces a matte color that is congruent with the dry coloration of the local climate depicted in his paintings. Through his deep understanding of and connection to the material, he generates a surface that blurs the environment, which is composed of secondary figures and colors, creating a hierarchy that directs attention to the experience of the individual figure.

The solitary figures, whose reflected image elicits misunderstanding and alienation, mirror the constant pain of existence. By shifting between figuration and abstraction, Gold offers them a compassionate hand. Art, for him, is a humanistic pursuit, stemming from an optimistic decision to hold on to life. Alert to the unfolding events and equipped with a benevolent gaze, Gold’s paintings soften the fragmentary experience transpiring in them. They allow the figures, and thereby us, to reach a concrete space, to confront change and the resulting pain. Recognition, says Gold, is the first ripple toward relinquishing the struggle with the endless gushing of the self.

Naama Haneman