ARTIST STATEMENT
Azur Neged
“First God created man, then he had a better idea;” “Sin began with a woman and thanks to her, we all must die;” “Woman cooperates with man, and man with woman.”
For two years, I have been exploring the Creation and Fall of Man narrative from Genesis. This story and its implications have persisted over time, touching and influencing all that we do. While the stories are highly complex, I wanted to represent the three core interpretations of this story: man is superior to woman, woman is superior to man, and man and woman are equal. My inspiration for these photos comes from the two separate passages from Genesis and from a medieval Jewish mysticism text that relates the story of Lilith, Adam’s first wife whose refusal to submit has caused her to be upheld by Jewish feminists. These stories have and continue to influence our society’s psyches, especially in relationships between men and women. They have been looked to for inspiration as well as for affirming prejudices. Despite being millenniums old, the Adam, Eve and Lilith narratives ask questions that we are still asking today. Are man and woman created equal? Is woman created secondary to man in order to aid him? Is she a temptress who causes man to fall? Does man have a right to demand that woman be sexually subordinate to him? Does woman have a right to refuse? Is woman superior to man? These stories are sacred to us—they make up who we are and how we interact with one another today. Because of this, I wanted to create a sanctuary in which to focus upon these narratives. Influenced by the Japanese Shinto religion, I created my own sando, a path that readies people’s minds for the sacred space they are about to enter. However, in this case, the sando is the sacred space being entered. A sando is somehow marked to distinguish it from regular pathways. The silk partitions not only mark the sando, but also make up the walls of the sanctuary. They conceal the sacred narratives, allowing for viewing only upon entering. I pray the sando I have created readies your mind to ponder these stories, their variations and interpretations and the questions they raise. Its lack of doors and solid walls is a sign of its perpetual openness to you in which to come and ponder these truly sacred narratives.
Azur Neged gallery – view
Azur Neged
“First God created man, then he had a better idea;” “Sin began with a woman and thanks to her, we all must die;” “Woman cooperates with man, and man with woman.”
For two years, I have been exploring the Creation and Fall of Man narrative from Genesis. This story and its implications have persisted over time, touching and influencing all that we do. While the stories are highly complex, I wanted to represent the three core interpretations of this story: man is superior to woman, woman is superior to man, and man and woman are equal. My inspiration for these photos comes from the two separate passages from Genesis and from a medieval Jewish mysticism text that relates the story of Lilith, Adam’s first wife whose refusal to submit has caused her to be upheld by Jewish feminists. These stories have and continue to influence our society’s psyches, especially in relationships between men and women. They have been looked to for inspiration as well as for affirming prejudices. Despite being millenniums old, the Adam, Eve and Lilith narratives ask questions that we are still asking today. Are man and woman created equal? Is woman created secondary to man in order to aid him? Is she a temptress who causes man to fall? Does man have a right to demand that woman be sexually subordinate to him? Does woman have a right to refuse? Is woman superior to man? These stories are sacred to us—they make up who we are and how we interact with one another today. Because of this, I wanted to create a sanctuary in which to focus upon these narratives. Influenced by the Japanese Shinto religion, I created my own sando, a path that readies people’s minds for the sacred space they are about to enter. However, in this case, the sando is the sacred space being entered. A sando is somehow marked to distinguish it from regular pathways. The silk partitions not only mark the sando, but also make up the walls of the sanctuary. They conceal the sacred narratives, allowing for viewing only upon entering. I pray the sando I have created readies your mind to ponder these stories, their variations and interpretations and the questions they raise. Its lack of doors and solid walls is a sign of its perpetual openness to you in which to come and ponder these truly sacred narratives.
Azur Neged gallery – view