My Entry Point to the world of Ya’akov Agam

The Agam ark in the sanctuary of Temple Isaiah in Palm Springs, with the mountains visible in the panoramic windows above the ark is an experience of “I lift up my eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help!”

For me, experiencing the Agam ark even in a photograph is and has been an inspiration and an invitation to learn about the life and work of Ya’akov Agam. This book is the result of my exploration of what has been written and published in book form and web pages about Agam.

This is neither a scholarly thesis nor a traditional art text, but an effort to flesh out the depth of meaning for such common expressions as “Agam’s religious upbringing influenced his artistic view and creative output.” (‘In Motion: Agam at Sunnylands’, Hough and Lopez, The Annenberg Foundation Trust, Rancho Mirage, 2020)

I have approached the life and work of Ya’akov Agam through my training as a Rabbi with two fundamental questions: How did his Jewishness manifest itself through his evolving artistic endeavors, and how does his struggle with the second commandment prohibition against graven images speak to the 21st-century Jewish soul?

The historian Ellis Rivkin suggests that we emulate the individual who “recognizes that Judaism has been the manifold expression of human beings struggling and wrestling with their human problems, and he therefore can enter into the thoughts and feelings of each historical moment and come forth enriched.”  Agam, as the subject of this study of a life, takes us back through a number of historical moments and pushes us ahead into the future. He wants us to enter into the colorful world of the exploratory future.

Following Rivkin, there is much to learn about the evolution of the artist, about being a participant in the artistic moment, and about how we might improve our abilities as artists or art appreciators.

The evolution of the artist within has been explored by Chaim Potok in “My Name is Asher Lev”, based on Jacob Epstein, and in the popular Israeli streaming series “Shtisel” with the character of Akiva as he stands in front of his easel in his ultra-orthodox garb and earlocks. But Agam is a real person with a worldwide following and with art installations across the globe.

Nicolas L. Behrmann, Palm Springs