Israeli artist and lecturer Tamar Avni uses her photography to explore several issues including gender, politics, media, and culture. Inspired by Francisco de Zurbarán's portraits of holy women, Avni recently found herself in a deep scrutiny of the relationship between subject and artist. This investigation eventually led to her taking on both roles in her own work, using the force of her own personality as her artist's materials. The way a painter might use oils or acrylics, Avni completes her studio portraits from her series, FAN, with the complicated, multidimensional characters of her subjects. In FAN, her female models interact with the artist, the audience, and the gaze of popular media in large-scale expository portraits.

In her series In The Orchard, Avni's female subjects leave the studio and are brought to her childhood home. In opposition to the studio shots which focus solely on the subject, the work in this series takes a step back to examine her influence and and interactions with the environment around her. The series confronts the subject and viewer with the Talmudic story Pardes, about four Rabbis who aim to investigate the orchard of Paradise:

Four men entered pardes – Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Archer (Elisha ben Abuyah) and 

Akiba. Ben Azzai looked and died; Ben Zoma looked and went mad; Archer destroyed 

the plants; Akiba entered in peace and departed in peace.

The women in Avni's photographs are sent into the artist's orchard to investigate their own, more personal issues, in hopes that they will fare better than the Mishnaic rabbis of the Talmud. 

Avni is involved in a growing movement in Israel called “Women Wage Peace,” aiming to advance women's role in negotiations in the Middle East, encouraging leaders on both sides to work towards a peaceful agreement. 

Exhibition Dates: November 5, 2014 – November 25, 2014

Reception: Thursday, November 6, 2014, 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Gallery Hours: Tues-Sat 11-6

Gallery Location: 530 West 25th St, Chelsea, New York

Event URL:  http://www.agora-gallery.com/artistpage/Tamar_Avni.aspx

About Agora Gallery

Agora Gallery is a contemporary fine art gallery located in the heart of Chelsea’s fine art district in New York. Established in 1984, Agora Gallery specializes in connecting art dealers and collectors with national and international artists. The art gallery’s expert consultants are available to assist corporate and private clients in procuring original artwork to meet their organization’s specific needs and budget requirements. With a strong online presence and popular online gallery, ARTmine, coupled with the spacious and elegant physical gallery space, the work of our talented artists, who work in diverse media and styles, can receive the attention it deserves. Over the years Agora Gallery has sponsored and catered to special events aimed at fostering social awareness and promoting the use of art to help those in need.