Life on the border: impossible reality

During the last three week a special exhibition has been going on in Tel Aviv. It is an outdoor exhibition on Chen Boulevard. If you stroll along this street, just turn your head up and you'll see drawings on boards tied to the streets from both sides. These drawings were made by junior high school students from the city of Kiryat shmona which is located in the North of Israel on the Lebanese border. During the 2006 Lebanese War which took place during 33 days, between mid July and mid August 2006, a total of 1012 Katyusha rockets hit Kiryat Shmona. Approximately half of its residents left the area during that time and those who remained stayed in bomb shelters. I went to see these youngsters' drawings and I was trying to feel and understand what it means to be 14 years old boy or a girl living in such a horrifying reality. I bring to you here several photos of their drawings, which I think speak for themselves.

Raphael (Rafi) Perez, gay artist

Raphael Perez was born in 1965 and raised in Jerusalem. He currently resides and works in Tel-Aviv. He is a graduate of the Jerusalem school of Visual Arts (1988-1992).Perez`s creations deal with the subject of homosexuality. He puts a strong emphasis on single-sex families, pride parades, soldiers, male birth giving, portraits, and male nudity, as well as male, female and heterosexual couples. His paintings put to test the boundaries between eroticism and art, while characterizing gay relationships and love as they are expressed in everyday life.
Two primary styles dominate the Raphael Perez paintings:Naïve Style which has been influenced by his experience of working with children and the Realistic Style, in which red is the dominant color.

Tel Aviv is featured in several Raphael Perez's paintings, especially those in the Naive Style. We chose this photo of one of his works featuring the promenade along Tel Aviv's coast line.

Rafi Perez's works in more detail can be found in:
http://www.artgallery18.com/?doc=150105 as well as in http://www.art4collector.com/.

Leasure feline life in Tel Aviv

It's Saturday again and I went to check out how cats manage in this city. Apparently, they are doing great...at least those I have met on my way. So, if you wish to be a city cat, Tel Aviv is probably quite a good choice...