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In line with similar trends throughout the world, urban sculpture has flourished over the last two decades in Israel, particularly in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where more sculptures have been erected than anywhere else - more than a hundred outdoor sculptures in each city. These three stamps reflect the beginnings of the intensive urban effort to combine art and building with the erection of outdoor sculptures.
Itzhak Danziger (1916-1977) "Serpentine" in the Yarkon Park, Tel Aviv 1975
Itzhak Danziger, attached much significance to the location of a work of art, and his sketches and sculptures of the 1970's reflect the strong interest which he developed in the interrelationship of landscape and sculpture. The "Serpentine" sculpture, built of concrete in 1975 is set in the Yarkon Park, in what is known as the Yehoshua Gardens, after the late Yehoshua Rabinowitz, the former mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo. The sculpture blends well into the topography of the park, being a winding wall of different heights (the maximum height is 3.70 in.) with serpentine twists, opening up towards the landscape. The sculpture is constructed of white concrete which is seen from a distance, setting off the green lawn and other vegetation of the park. The location of this white wall in the landscape is a good example of the strong interest Danziger held in location, which is also the title of his posthumous book "Makom' which includes photographs of tombs of Shiekhs, righteous men and places of worship, and where he examines the enigmas of the ingenious setting of these structures within the landscape.
In "Serpentine", Danziger's interest in light finds its expression in the changing shadows which the twists in the wall project during the day, and the play of light and shadow which create interesting visual effects as the wall curves and changes height. Danzigers sculpture was erected on the initiative of the Yehoshua Rabinowitz Foundation for the Arts, Tel Aviv.
Alexander Calder (1898-1976)" Stabile" Mount Herzl, Jerusalem 1977
Alexander Calder (1898-1976) was the first American sculptor to achieve world-wide fame and Jerusalem was to be honoured in being the site of his last work. The sculpture was erected in Holland Square, close to Mt. Herzl, and this location was chosen by the sculptor himself, who attached great importance to the specific location of the work: on the one hand, its urban character, on a busy road connecting the western neighbourhoods of Jerusalem, and on the other, its rural character on the edge of the Jerusalem Forest. When seen from the road leading down to Em Kerem, its reddish colour blends beautifully with the complementary green of the Forest.
The sculpture is called "Homage to Jerusalem - Stabile", indicating that it is part of a long line of sculptures called "Stabile", a name coined by the artist Jean Arp to describe the second form of sculpture which Calder created.
These sculptures are abstract in nature, generally made of metal plates and are "stationary" as opposed to "mobile", a name coined by the artist Marchel Duchamp to describe Alexander Calder's moving sculptures, which were among the first kinetic works in modern international sculpture. A sculpture by Calder combining stabile and mobile elements can be seen at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Calder created a synthesis between the constructivism originating in Russia and the surrealism which flourished in Paris in the 20's and 30's. The size of the Jerusalem sculpture made it necessary to connect the huge metal plates with screws , a technique that testifies to Calder's engineering training. He was the son and grandson of sculptors and in his work one can see the synthesis between technological and engineering achievements and contemporary trends in art.
In the 60's and 70's Alexander Calder erected large urban sculptures in many cities; in Paris in La Defense Quarter; in Chicago in the Federal Center Plaza; and in Mexico City near the Aztec Stadium. The Jerusalem sculpture has biomorphic forms. On the sealed heavy side it reminds one of a prehistoric animal. On its open, transparent side, the arches appear to be windows or gates through which the landscape can be glimpsed and whose form echoes the mountains. - The "Homage to Jerusalem- "Stabile" was commissioned by the Jerusalem Foundation.
David Palombo (1920-1966), Gate to the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem, Jerusalem (1958-1959)
The gate at the entrance to the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem was designed between 1958-1959, by the sculptor David Palombo, (1920-1966).
The Hall of Remembrance was designed as a place for honouring the memory of the victims of the holocaust, at Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust Memorial and Museum in Jerusalem. The structure is constructed of dark basalt rock walls, which support a heavy concrete root and the black gate is set into this wall of huge basalt boulders. Enmeshed into the gate is a relief of piercing organic forms. It is constructed of welded steel rods and coated by welding rod beads. The sharp forms shooting out in all directions contrast sharply with the quiet heaviness which the exterior of the building
Palombo used a similar technique in designing the gates of the Knesset Building, the sculptor's last work. Unlike the gate ot Remembrance, the Knesset gate is not a solid the Hallo this lends it its specific sculptural character.