Stanley Saitowitz's Judaica
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The yad is a pointer used in reading from the Torah. It's one of the few public, that is, not used in the home, objects in the collection. Stanley Saitowitz, Yad, 2011, nickel and resin, .5 x 9 inches. Artist rendering. Fabrication by Dupliform Casting Company. Courtesy of the artist. -
The tzedakah box is for alms, the required caring for of the less fortunate. Stanley Saitowitz, Tzedakah Box, 2011, nickel and resin, 3 x 3 x 7 inches. Artist rendering. Fabrication by Dupliform Casting Company. Courtesy of the artist. -
Here's Saitowitz's seder plate. "We have some really ugly Judaica," he told me when we spoke about the show. "I wanted to make objects that would feel right on my glass table with Chilewich placemats." Stanley Saitowitz, Seder Plate, 2011, nickel and resin, 20 x 7.5 x 1 inches. Artist rendering. Fabrication by Dupliform Casting Company. Courtesy of the artist. -
This pair of shabbat candles is a prime example of the spare, industrial aesthetic of the collection. Much of the impetus behind the Judaica series is to find the rational, formal essence of the object. Saitowitz said that the collection "purifies the ceremonies in its purity." Stanley Saitowitz, Shabbat Candlesticks, 2010, chrome plated steel, 8.5 x 4.5 x 8.75 inches. Artist rendering. Fabrication by MG Mcgrath. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Brian McGanty. -
The Netilat Yadayim cup is used for ritual handwashing. Stanley Saitowitz, Netilat Yadayim Cup, 2011, nickel and resin, 3 x 3 x 4 inches. Artist rendering. Fabrication by Dupliform Casting Company. Courtesy of the artist. -
The rimonim are endcaps for the Torah, and are outfitted with bells that jingle as the Torah is carried around. The Hebrew word "rimonim" means "pomegranate." Stanley Saitowitz, Rimonim, 2011, nickel, brass and resin, 5 x 5 x 10 inches. Artist rendering. Fabrication by Dupliform Casting Company. Courtesy of the artist. -
The mezuzah holds a tiny Torah scroll and is affixed to the door frame of a Jewish home. Saitowitz was quick to discuss how Judaism has an uncommon comfort with abstraction, thus the ease with which he fits ritual objects into a modernist idiom. "Concepts govern our laws and actions," he says. Stanley Saitowitz, Mezuzah, 2010, chrome plated aluminum, 1.5 x .375 x 4.5 inches. Artist rendering. Fabrication by MG Mcgrath Inc. Courtesy of the artist. -
The etrog box holds a Middle Eastern fruit, one that is used in the harvest holiday Sukkot. Stanley Saitowitz, Etrog Box, 2011, nickel and resin, 3.5 x 5.5 inches. Artist rendering. Fabrication by Dupliform Casting Company. Courtesy of the artist. -
This kiddush cup is meant to be passed around for person to person, thus the series of handles on the base. Stanley Saitowitz, Kiddush Cup, 2011, nickel, brass and resin, 3 x 3 x 7 inches. Artist rendering. Fabrication by Dupliform Casting Company. Courtesy of the artist. -
This Havdalah set is a further expression of what we see in the Kiddush cup, "contemporary expressions of ancient objects," according to Saitowitz. Stanley Saitowitz, Havdalah Set, 2011, nickel, brass and resin, 13 x 3 x 8 inches. Artist rendering. Fabrication by Dupliform Casting Company. Courtesy of the artist. -
The menorah is the oldest of the objects in the line. It's actually been on sale at the Contemporary Jewish Museum's gift shop for years. Stanley Saitowitz, Menorah, 1995, stainless steel, 16.5 x 4.5 x 8.75 inches. Fabrication by Natoma Architects. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Brian McGanty. -
Here's a box for the matzah during the Passover seder. The form is decidedly geometric, something Saitowitz took from the Second Commandment's prohibition of figurative objects, the worship of idols. Stanley Saitowitz, Matzah Plate, 2011, nickel and resin, 7.5 x 7.5 x 1 inches. Artist rendering. Fabrication by Dupliform Casting Company. Courtesy of the artist. -
The only object in the collection to be made of cloth, this challah cover rests over the loaf of bread to "hide" it while the kiddush prayer is recited over the wine. Stanley Saitowitz, Challah Cover, 2011, wool yarn, 18 x 12 inches. Artist rendering. Fabrication by Dupliform Casting Company. Courtesy of the artist.Don't miss a word of Dwell! Download our FREE app from iTunes, friend us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter!
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