JAVA Dec '18 issue

She displays some free-standing sculptural works
fashioned from window shades that she rescued
from the Habitat for Humanity store, a place where
random leftover remodeling items such as bathroom
sinks, doorknobs and moulding go for resale after a
job. “I try to use as the source of my raw materials
something someone may have overlooked. And I
decided if I was going to use any raw material, I was
going to make it.”
Lee fabricated her own formaldehyde-free particle
board by collecting sawdust, pressing and forming
it. Sometimes she shapes the material using mesh.
Other times, she creates a sheet and cuts it with a
table saw or laser cutter.
Artist and ASU faculty member Liz Cohen crafted a
large rug with rudimentary cut-out shapes depicting
the GAZ Coffee emblem, flanked by a Russian
truck and yellow leaves – an homage to a 1968
trade agreement between the Soviet Union and
Colombia for the trade of cars for coffee. This piece
demands conversation about coffee consumption and
production and the impact on the environment and
people who produce it.
Susan Beiner’s work is a large ceramic and mixed
media sculpture that represents all of the types
of plastic waste – water bottles, diapers, plastic
shopping bags and more – that are daily thrown into
landfills or find their way into oceans, choking out
marine life.
Textile artist Janielle L. Stanley, of Diné heritage
from the Bitter Water Clan, contributed half a dozen
handmade wall hangings. She creates textiles that
reflect her life and her culture. Stanley works block
patterns and embroidered sheep into her designs.
For the Diné, sheep are everything, she says. “From
our youth, we all raise sheep. My aunties and my
grandmother used the wool for weaving. But we also
used them for food. And we couldn’t waste anything.
Every part of the sheep was used.”
Baron contributed to the show by curating a
display of beautiful and ornate antique spice
boxes. The besamin box filled with exciting
smells is another important Jewish tradition,
she explains. To add another layer of sensation to
the show, Baron hung small sachets of lavender,
cloves, bay leaves, rosemary and cinnamon from
the ceiling – a traditional besamin box blend to
invigorate the senses.
Tikkun Olam 3
Through January 23
Cutler Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center
122 E. Culver Street, Phoenix
JAVA 17
MAGAZINE