‘Don’t Mess with the Besht’

Photos by: Ruvi Leider Photography, Michael Mordechai Cohen and Schneur Menaker Cameratology

This past Thursday celebrated the opening of Hassidic artist Michael Mordechai Cohen’s East Coast debut. Cohen’s show, entitled “Don’t Mess with the Besht: Part II” premiered at the J Klaynberg Gallery, which is a project of the Chabad Center for Jewish Discovery in Chelsea.

The brainchild of Rabbi Naftali Rotenstreich and successful real estate developer Joseph Klaynberg, the gallery opened its doors two years ago as part of the Chabad Center’s state-of-the-art complex. The mandate of the J. Klaynberg gallery is to create a sense of Jewish community by showcasing the work of emerging Jewish artists.

Michael Mordechai Cohen is the first artist to be featured by new curator Sarah Lehat, who recently assumed the role of director-slash-curator from predecessor Luna Pariente. According to Lehat, the artists whom she selects employ the power of art to evoke a shared sense of pride and identity. “The soul of the artist is experienced via his work. His journey, emotions, etc… are captured in a moment of artistic expression that resonates with the individual viewing the art”. By featuring Jewish emerging talent, Lehat hopes to strengthen the bond between artist and audience, and lend a more conscious awareness to the uniquely Jewish aspect of the artist’s soul that is involved in the creative act.

While working towards his BFA in printmaking at Cal State Long Beach, Michael Mordechai Cohen became inspired by Hassidic and Kabbalistic philosophy, and began to document his spiritual journey via art. Today Cohen is an observant Jew who lives in Los Angeles with his wife (Sarah Rachel) and son (Shmuel Elimelech). He is a Hassid or disciple of the Nikolsburg Rebbe, the heir of the 284-year-old Nikolsburg Hassidic Dynasty. Defining himself as an “orthodox artist living in an unorthodox art world,” Cohen strives to reveal G-d through his chosen mode of artistic expression: Printmaking.

Gallery attendee Nechama Marcus observed Thursday that “one really discovers Cohen’s journey from Southern California culture to ‘Teshuva’” (a term used to denote a Jew’s return to his roots). Cohen uses familiar quotes, icons, symbols and styles of representation to make ancient Jewish messages accessible to a larger audience. These among other elements are what makes Cohen’s work especially relevant to the contemporary Jew. As fellow Artist Elke Reva Sudin commented “Michael’s work is a confrontation of 21st Century Jewish identities.”

Cohen describes his work as translating the Torah he learns into “aesthetically pleasing and thought provoking” works of art. One of the most arresting features of Cohen’s work is his use of familiar imagery from various subcultures, including gang and bike cultures.

In his print “Holy Gang Signs”, Cohen borrows a non-verbal communication that was once limited to gang members but is now familiar in popular culture: Cohen’s visual manipulation of the gang sign (commonly flashed to claim gang territory) to resemble the word “God” highlights Jewish culture’s tribal characteristics, as we claim allegiance to and territory for G-d.

The opening Thursday night was well attended by a diverse crowd representing a wide sampling of the local Jewish community, ranging from the secular to more observant, student to professional, artist to art lover.

The J. Klaynberg Gallery will continue exhibiting new work throughout the fall. September will feature rarely seen work from private collections, followed by a group exhibit in October entitled Individual Collective, accompanied by a panel discussion presided over by art professionals and Religious leaders. The panel will discuss the role art plays as it interfaces with Jewish identity and culture.

A complete schedule of exhibits, including artists Elanit Kayne, Silvia Dayan, Genevieve Esther Perez and others will be available in the near future on the Gallery’s website www.jklaynberg.com