For the last several months I have asked 15 Israeli artists the same three questions – and have been fascinated with the variety of answers. While some artists seek originality, others prove that this is not the essence of creating and their motivation to work. Some yet, consciously refer to the artists from the past, quoting their methods of working, but giving the work a personal touch.
Over thousands of years in the history of art, originality was not always the key component of success. However, we all know paintings of Rembrandt or Monet and not the artists who followed their styles. In this column, I try in my subjective selection to choose these artists whose works stand up and stay with the viewer, whose art – once seen – cannot be unseen.
Three artists agreed to answer my three questions: 1. What inspires you? 2. What do you call art? 3.
What, in your opinion, makes your artwork different from that of other artists? Yossi Mark studied philosophy and social sciences at Tel Aviv University and painting at the Avni Institute. Born in 1954, he lives and works in Petah Tikva. He has showcased his work in numerous solo and group exhibitions and is the founder, teacher, and director of the Institute of Visual Arts at the Petah Tikva Museum of Art.
In 2010, he was awarded the Culture and Sports Ministry Award in Visual Arts; in 2017, the Culture and Sport Ministry Award in Visual Arts; and on June 24 at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the Shiff Award for Figurative-Realist.