Rewriting Genesis

Edward Maza

doi:10.1163/15685292-02503003

Abstract

Abstract Barnett Newman’s abstract paintings are often explicitly linked to biblical narratives by their titles. In particular Newman regularly revisits the Genesis creation story. In the wake of the destruction of the Holocaust, Newman sets out to tell a revitalized story of creation in order to establish a new artistic beginning for the Jewish people (and modernism) in twentieth century New York. Through careful and nuanced visual analysis of Newman’s Genesis paintings, it is possible to construct a detailed mystical retelling of the creation story that is rooted in Jewish scriptures and develops a new receptive tradition. These paintings give Newman the opportunity to recreate the world through proverbial wisdom, Kabalistic mysticism, and Hebrew scriptures in order to create a new and hopeful vision for the future in the wake of tragedy.

Highlights

Barnett Newman’s abstract paintings are often explicitly linked to biblical narratives by their titles
As Barnett Newman himself said, “the history of my generation begins with the problem of what to paint
This new beginning was explicitly influenced by Kabbalistic understandings of the Genesis creation narrative and at times even attempts to transform the text through visual commentary and translation

Summary

Introduction

Barnett Newman’s abstract paintings are often explicitly linked to biblical narratives by their titles. Via free access solid black paint covers slightly more than half of the white canvas on the left side. The ideas contained in Black Fire i and White Fire iv are the culmination of a series of paintings Newman made in attempt to articulate the “white fire” of the Genesis creation story.

Results

Conclusion