Earth
1978
Five Variations on a Theme
In the late 1970s, the work of Yigael Tumarkin was influenced by conceptual art and land art, which, in the local context, acquired political meanings. Works from this period reveal elements drawn from Egyptian culture and architecture, to which he was exposed during his visit to Egypt in 1977.
For Tumarkin, the earth was conceived as a mythical and eternal concept, representing both the beginning and the end of existence. He defined his personal identity through territory and material, as he wrote in the opening of the booklet he published: “From childhood I remember golden sands, blue skies, the sea (Bat Yam)…”
The booklet was published בעקבות an exhibition of the same name held at the Israel Museum, where modernist sculptures made of sand, earth, iron, and wood were presented. The booklet includes Tumarkin’s reflections on earth as material, as territory, and as a political question, alongside photographs of earth sculptures and drawings.
- Copies: 1
- Pages: 24
- Type of binding: Softcover
- Languages: Hebrew
- Dimensions (cm): 180x180
- Type of printing: Letterpress printing
- Publication: 1978
- Place of publication: Israel
- Book photography: Leafing Magazine
Igael Tumarkin (1933–2021), born in Germany, was one of Israel’s most important artists. Working primarily in sculpture, he also created prints, paintings, and photographs. He studied sculpture in Ein Hod, worked at the Berliner Ensemble in East Germany, and was influenced by Dada, Pop Art, and the French avant-garde. In the 1960s, he developed his assemblage style, incorporating weapons and other materials to create anti-war and politically charged sculptures and monuments. From the 1970s onward, his works combined art-historical references with Palestinian and Bedouin folk imagery. He installed dozens of monuments across Israel, including the Holocaust and Revival Memorial in Rabin Square.
