Zionism may not seem to belong on the same list of controversial art movements as Impressionism, Cubism and Surrealism — but Alan Kaufman feels it does.
The Israeli-American San Francisco writer and artist has crafted painted canvases with pointedly political titles like “The Flight of Israel’s Foes,” “Anti-Semitism” and “The Battle for Israel.”
Glancing at a print of “The Battle for Israel,” which portrays the blue-and-white striped arm of a concentration camp prisoner hoisting an Israeli flag as if to shelter it from the hostile elements, he can only shake his head. “This is a Zionist painting,” he says.
Kaufman claims his Zionism has taken a bite out of his bottom line. The painter alleges that David Himmelberger, owner of Himmelberger Gallery in San Francisco, abruptly refused to print a catalog showcasing Kaufman’s works because of the artist’s overtly Zionist titles, along with pro-Israel essays to accompany the artwork penned by Jewish and Israeli writers.
On Oct. 8, Kaufman claims he stopped by Himmelberger’s gallery for a what he said was a final review of the catalog’s layout when the gallery owner pointed to his proposed title — “Visionary Expressionism: A Zionist Art” — and said “We can’t do that.”
Kaufman claims Himmelberger told him that his work and the essays “promoted a platform.” Kaufman refused to change his titles or alter the essays, and the meeting came to an acrimonious end.
Within a day, Kaufman had fired off faxes to newspapers across the nation, labeling himself and the essayists “The Zionist 5,” and claiming Himmelberger, in an act of overt anti-Zionism, had censored him.
Himmelberger declined to comment, and a gallery employee referred all calls to Himmelberger’s attorney, Edward Sarti.
Sarti claims “there is nothing illegal going on here. No promise is unfulfilled, there was no anti-Zionism, anti-Semitism, nothing.”
According to an August contract between Kaufman and Himmelberger, the gallery owner assessed the values of Kaufman’s paintings at between $3,000 to $36,000 and displayed them in his gallery between July and September.
Although Kaufman claims Himmel-
berger wanted to continue to work together into 2008 and beyond —and offered to publish a catalog of Kaufman’s work — Sarti claims this is not true.
The attorney says Himmelberger was merely “helping” Kaufman, referring him to his preferred photographers and printers for a catalog the artist would print on his own.
That explanation makes no sense to Polly Zavadivker. The program officer at the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay was on a September conference call from Kaufman and Himmelberger placed from the gallery owner’s office.
During the conversation, she recalls Kaufman and Himmelberger asking if the federation could provide some or all of the funds to publish the Kaufman catalog (the money turned out to be unavailable). Zavadivker also was asked to write an essay for the catalog tentatively titled “My People Under Siege.”
“Himmelberger wanted to publish it under his imprint,” Zavadivker stated.
The abrupt dissolution of Himmelberger and Kaufman’s relationship, and Kaufman’s charges of anti-Zionist bigotry, baffled both Zavadivker and Riva Gambert, the head of the East Bay Federation’s Israel Center.
The four convened for a summer meeting about using Kaufman’s artwork as a springboard to help “rebrand Zionism” away from being a dirty word.
Himmelberger “seemed very eager,” Gambert recalled. “It’s harder and harder for people to feel proud of being Zionists in many parts of the world, and we talked about this very openly. Mr. Himmelberger was present when we talked about it.”
Following the meeting, Himmelberger drew up a proposal for an event involving Israeli and Polish artists coming to San Francisco. He priced the event at $200,000 and requested funds from the East Bay Federation.
“It was a ridiculous ask. The kinds of events we do are put on for a sliver of that amount,” Zavadivker said.
Although Himmelberger has stated that his relationship with Kaufman is finished, their contract states that Himmelberger must hold Kaufman’s paintings until December. Sarti said Himmelberger erred in his earlier statement, adding that if a buyer materializes for a Kaufman painting, Himmelberger would serve as the seller.
Kaufman, meanwhile, hopes to exhibit his works in a federation-sponsored show in the East Bay in January.
“When I painted my paintings, I very much had in mind that I am going to express what is happening to the Jewish people and Israelis,” Kaufman said. “I am going to express what it feels like to be a Jew under anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism in the world today.
“The fact that Zionism is controversial is the problem,” he continued. Then, rolling his eyes, he added, “It’s not Zionism, it’s controversy.”