"Garden of Eden"
Wool and gold threads, low wrap 20-portee tapestry
5 ft. 2 in. diameter (155 cm.)

"Creation of Eva"
Wool and gold threads, low wrap 20-portee tapestry
5 ft. 2 in. diameter (155 cm.)

"Formation Two"
Wool and gold threads, low wrap 20-portee tapestry
5 ft. 2 in. diameter (155 cm.)

"Formation One"
Wool and gold threads, low wrap 20-portee tapestry
5 ft. 2 in. diameter (155 cm.)

Rachel Ben-Zvi round Tapestries.

Already in our book on Tapestries there is an explanation about the composition in a circle [page 61] written years ago. Although it is related to a specific Tapestry it still holds the essential basics of Rachel’s round tapestries.
Years passed and Rachel developed a unique technique in executing skillfully and perfectly this complicated task that is required in, Low warp, weaving of a round tapestry. There are many technical problems to overcome, that Rachel mastered during
a long period of work.
Now after she ceased to work, there are only four round Tapestries left in our possession. One of them [currently on a show in Ein Hod 50 anniversary] was shown in several museums in the U.S.A. on a traveling show of international weavers association ITNET.
To our knowledge no one, except Rachel created a woven round tapestry [hence the uniqueness] in the technique developed by her long years experience.
The enclosed [non professional] photos don’t give justice to the magnificent and perfect results that the original work shows.

Ben Zvi Gedalia, October 2003 in Ein Hod.

P.S. Only one round tapestry, Creation of Eva, is in our tapestry book [page 83, 84] and on the, Dust cover, of the book.
The dimensions of all four tapestries are approximately 150 cm. In diameter

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"My interest in the art to tapestry originates from my visits to palaces and museums in Europe. But the principal urge and my desire to take part in the creation of goblins originate directly from a visit some years ago to a magnificent exhibition of modern French tapestry at Tel Aviv museum. I was particularly fascinated by the spectacular colors and the modern design and, naturally, I made use of the opportunity presented to me by Jean Pierre La Roche's stay at Ein Hod, to learn the art of tapestry. Having had behind me years of experience in artistic weaving, the shift was not difficult and my knowledge of materials contributed not little to my speedy progress. At the same time, my husband was studying with Jean Pierre La Roche not only the art of tapestry but also, in the main, designing and preparing the outline of the work, according to Liresat's methods; these are an inseparable part of the creation."

Rachel Ben Zvi

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"The Garden Eden" of

In our book "The Tapestry" we were trying to convey not only the practical way of creating complicated Tapestries, but also the historiography of the ancient technique of artistic interpretation.

Most of the executed tapestries in our book are about the allegoric stories of the "Seven Days of Creation", sometime repeating in different execution the same idea.

Unlike other creators of tapestries, including those made in the previous centuries we have concentrated on unique and personal interpretation of each idea, never repeating the same design.

The cooperation with my wife who executed all my designs, allowed us to use our expertise creating results seldom found in this ancient technique.
It wasn't only a technical process, but constant thinking and rethinking the various
aspects of the given project.
The changes during the work took place all the time during the execution and that
explains the long time to complete one unique Tapestry.

The "Garden of Eden" was created after our book was published and is an masterpiece 0 intricate design and execution and took longer then any previous one.

The story in the Bible about the Garden of Eden is a universal essay on human behavior and prize of the natures beauty.
To avoid a didactical intonation of the story, "our" garden of Eden put the emphasis of colorist interpretation of the idea.

The perfect and complicated result is the proof of long time experience that turns an ideas, into a visual art delight.

Ben Zvi Gedalia Ein Hod November 2001

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Formations

From the international catalogue.

In my previous tapestries I was mostly dealing with topics related to the creation of the world, based mainly on the Bible stories.
As my interpretation is abstract, I used representational coloring to refer to elements of the subject.
For example in a previous work, not exhibited here I dealt with the creation of trees and meadows using green as a dominant color.
When I started to work on a new series, I call Formations; I had in my mind the eternal riddle of the formation of the Universe.
How it actually happened is still, and will be always in constant dispute among the scientists.
As an artist whose main tools are creativity and imaginative sensibility, I have approached this topic without any scientific base.
My Formation Tapestries are colorful elements that mayor may not be particles in the universe, floating freely in the space.
I am aware of the magnitude of this ambitious topic, but an artist works in the undefined area between imaginative fantasy and the so-called reality. The Formation tapestries are a natural continuation of my other works on the topic, including my three-dimensional paintings and large acrylics on canvas.
My Formations are only partial proof of the obvious inexhaustibility of such a topic.

Curators note: in this husband and wife team, Rachel weaves and Gedalia designs and writes statements.

Books on Tapestry and catalogue on paintings by Gedalia Ben-Zvi available on request