David Tomb in a New Museum Exhibition and Artist Talk

David Tomb is part of…

The Contemporary Jewish Museum Presents
Do Not Destroy:
Trees, Art, and Jewish Thought
An Exhibition and The Dorothy Saxe Invitational

February 16 – May 28, 2012

David says, “I created this piece of artwork from a piece of “reclaimed” wood I got from an old salt at a Sausalito ship yard. This show is about the Tu B’Shevat holiday which has been interpreted recently through an environmental/activist lens. So, I painted our eagle on a piece of ‘mystery tropical hard wood’. As you know the use of tropical hardwoods is a significant aspect of the eagles demise.”

Museum Statement — From the very first chapters of the Torah where one encounters them in the Garden of Eden, to the commandment Bal Tashchit (do not destroy) found in Deuteronomy forbidding their wanton destruction during wartime, trees occupy a particularly potent and symbolic place in Jewish literature and lore as expressions of paradise, regeneration, shelter, the bounty of the earth, longevity, and even as a precursor to the coming of the Messiah.

A new exhibition at the Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM), Do Not Destroy: Trees, Art, and Jewish Thought, explores the role of the tree in Jewish tradition and beyond through the lens of contemporary artists, offering fresh perspectives on ritual practice and our connection to the natural world.

Building upon the Museum’s long-standing tradition of asking artists from a variety of backgrounds to explore a Jewish ceremonial object, holiday, or concept within the context of their own mediums and artistic philosophy, over 50 contemporary artists from across the United States have created new works of art in response to a broad range of themes inspired by the holiday Tu B’Shevat (the New Year for the Trees). Each participating artist was asked to incorporate reclaimed wood into their work in some way.

Environmentalist Art: Tour and Artist Talk

Sunday, February 26, 3 – 5pm

Tour the exhibition Do Not Destroy. Then join exhibiting artist David Tomb for an engaging conversation about how he uses his art as a tool for conservation. Tomb is a highly skilled artist and a dedicated environmentalist who founded his own non-profit, Jeepney Projects Worldwide. Learn about how Tomb went from birding in the Oakland hills with his high school buddies to traveling in Ecuador with those same friends, his paint brush, and a vision for social change.
Free; Teens only (see how well David’s artist talk was received here)