drawyomi.blogspot.com
Jacqueline Nicholls is an intriguing artist. Brought up as a well-educated Modern Orthodox woman, the vast repository of Jewish text and sensibility are second nature to her. She has now tackled the Daf Yomi with her very own Draw Yomi blog, creating a drawing for each daily daf she studies. Equally familiar to her is the language of postmodern art making with seasonings of text, image, and diverse materials, especially those found in the “women’s arts.” She sees the Talmud as being naturally feminine, deeply aligned with Women’s Work since it is fundamentally non-linear, constantly switching between the minutia and the global, much in the same way as weaving or embroidery must keep in mind the big-picture while it concentrates on each and every stitch.
She is an inspiration of what a thoroughly informed modern Jewish art can be. It seems like a truly new dawn is breaking.
(Meet The Artists: An evening with Jacqueline Nicholls, Mierle Ukeles Moderated by Tobi Kahn, JCC Manhattan, Tues. Oct 23; 7:30p.m.)