Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The return of the Cultural Anthropologist!

Did I mention that when I came back from the trip to Egypt -- that it felt like coming home? It was quite strange. I was able to tell the cab driver exactly where to take us, everything looked familiar and comforting. In fact, compared to the Arabic we were seeing in Egypt, the Hebrew writing on the stores and street signs were understandable!! I guess the move from "disorientation" to "orientation" was successful!

What's next? I still have to meet the Lion and the Tin Man!

But maybe the Lion is Israel...in class yesterday, the lecture was about sculpture in Israeli Art in the '20s and '30s. The Lion is a prevalent symbol. The Lion of Judah, the Lion as the symbol of Jerusalem, the Lion rising -- who knows, if Israel is the Lion, maybe the Tin Man is just around the corner?

5 comments:

Elizabeth Sayles said...

You will probably be disoriented when you return to NY!

BTW I just finished the chapter on "Bodies" and in the US we are obsessed with them, yet practically everyone hates the one they are in. I suspect that's not the case in Israel, can you investigate?

Anne said...

I haven't had a discussion like that here... too much worry about war and peace.

I am glad you are back to commenting!! It was getting a bit lonely on my blog!

Elizabeth Sayles said...

Sorry about that... I've been a bit distracted by work, teaching, raking leaves, teenage angst ... and now deadlines & holidays are teetering overhead. (panicking!)

Curious about Israeli art in the 20s & 30s... wasn't Israel established in the late 40s?

Anne said...

well my dear -- Let me explain -- Herzel and the Zionists had the idea of the Jews RETURNING to eretz Israel in the late 1800s... and so many zionist came here at the turn of the century to start to build something. Tel Aviv just celebrated its 100 anniversary -- it was declared a city in 1909 -- they started building in about 1906--

Anyway it is a long story - I will blog about it.. the Bezalel Arts Academy was started in 1906 in Jerusalem - by Boris Shatz -- and it still exists! My friend Hanan teaches animation there!

Elizabeth Sayles said...

Ahhhh, that explains a lot.