Artwork in Focus: Kabbalah, 1985
Siri Berg (1921-2020) “Kabbalah (SBE0479-II)", 1985, Acrylic on canvas, 72 x 72 in (182.9 x 182.9 cm) Collection of the Estate of Siri Berg
Beginning in the early 1980s, Siri Berg began exploring how abstract painting can illuminate the mystical content and value of the Kabbalah— the ancient Jewish tradition of mystical interpretation of the Bible, first transmitted orally using esoteric methods (including ciphers).
“Some years ago while browsing through the New Jewish Encyclopedia,” Siri explained in an artist statement in 1981. “I became interested in the figurative presentation of the Ten Sefirot from the Kabbalisitic treaties by Moses ben Jacob Cordovero and was impressed by the simplicity of the form.”
What struck her, Siri wrote, was how a simple form could visually represent such a complex and intellectually profound subject matter. She was especially attracted to the configuration because in all her work she had use form, not was a design element but as a vehicle for the search for unending intellectual and creative expression. This permitted her “to probe, to stretch, to develop, to evolve without distraction and constraint.”
Painted in 1985, this work is the summation of Siri’s study within this series. By the mid-1980s, she had developed a full body of paintings that explored the Kabbalah in countless variations both in color, texture, and size. The surface texture, created through dabs of heavy paint, creates an added illusion and luminosity. The painting’s subtle, dusty palette of concentric square forms is indicative of her compositional pursuits in infinite variety. — Jason Andrew
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Quoted from: Siri Berg. “Application for Fellowship. Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, New York,” October 29, 1984. Courtesy Estate of Siri Berg
