Art Compelled by Life: Encountering Ben Shahn’s Spiritual Work

“Nonconformity is the basic precondition of art, as it is the precondition of good thinking and therefore of growth and greatness in a people. The degree of nonconformity present – and tolerated – in a society might be looked upon as a symptom of its state of health” – Ben Shahn

“Thus is it not unimaginable that art arises from something stronger than stimulation or even inspiration–that it may take fire from something closer to provocation, that it may not just turn to life, but that it may at certain times be compelled by life.” – Ben Shahn

Last May, “Ben Shahn: On Nonconformity” opened at the Jewish Museum in New York City. The first retrospective of Shahn’s work in America since 1978, the exhibit sought to highlight the continued relevance of both Shahn’s art and activism. Born in Lithuania in 1898, Shahn is best known for his works of social realism, which depicted the economic, political, and racial struggles of his time.

Deservedly, Shahn’s political work has received widespread acclaim and scholarly attention. However, his spiritual work, completed mostly towards the end of his life, has been largely ignored. Reviewing the retrospective for The New York Times, Blake Gopnik even referred to Shahn’s overtly religious paintings as nothing more than “vaporous musings.”

In this session, we’ll take seriously Shahn’s religious work – particularly, his stunning interpretations of the Book of Job. In conversations with Jewish texts, scholarly texts, and Shahn’s own writings, we’ll consider the relationship between Shahn’s political commitments and the mysticism of his later work. Taking a step back, we’ll discuss how Shahn endeavored to make sense of the uncertainty and suffering of his time – and how we may as well.

Joshua Kurtz is a weaver, writer, and educator based in Somerville, Massachusetts. He recently completed a Masters of Divinity degree at Harvard Divinity School, where he studied Judaism, grief, and ethics. He has previously worked as a community organizer and educator in Washington, DC, and Brasov, Romania. His writing has been published in the Smithsonian Folklife Magazine, the Colorado Review, Gashmius, amongst several others.

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