Tzimtzum and the Art of Painting, with Ken Goshen
As the founder of Goshen Art Academy, Jerusalem-born artist Ken Goshen teaches classical painting and drawing skills to hundreds of students online and in midtown Manhattan. Goshen’s recent paintings are featured in Tzimtzum, a Havurah gallery exhibition at the Jerusalem Biennial, on view through April 30 in Hechal Shlomo Cultural Center. Here, Goshen reflects on the idea of Tzimtzum in his own practice and as an inherent part of art-making.
Ken Goshen (Photo by Jordan Dea)
The concept of Tzimtzum, rooted in the rich soil of Kabbalistic mysticism and attributed to the 16th-century sage Rabbi Isaac Luria, casts a profound light on the art of painting. It describes the divine act of contraction, making space for the universe's existence, paralleling the artistic process where constraints are not limitations but avenues for depth and connection. Tzimtzum reveals that the essence of creativity lies in the art of reduction, facilitating a dialogue between the artist's vision and the viewer's imagination.
Painting from life involves the daunting challenge of conveying the world's vast complexity using only brushes, pigments, and canvas. This process mirrors the concept of Tzimtzum, where the artist selectively narrows down visual information to distill the essence of the scene. The excitement in this reduction is akin to the suspense in a mystery novel or the joy of spotting familiar shapes in clouds. Such experiences stimulate our innate pattern recognition abilities, deeply rooted in our evolutionary history, and reward us with a sense of pleasure for actively engaging our minds.
Rembrandt van Rijn, Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem, 1630, oil on panel, 22 13/16 x 18 1/8 in., Rijksmuseum, Netherlands
This principle is vital in art, particularly when viewers find themselves actively participating in the artwork by filling in details left intentionally undefined by the artist. Masters like Rembrandt excel in this technique, using minimal strokes to suggest forms, thus inviting viewers to complete the image in their minds. This method not only enriches the interaction with the artwork but also exemplifies the Tzimtzum principle of making space for the viewer's imagination, allowing them to co-create the experience.
In my practice, I apply Tzimtzum by focusing on isolated subjects—peppers, challah bread—set against undefined, ambiguous spaces. This isolation strips the subjects of their contextual baggage, presenting them in a new light and inviting viewers to explore their essence. This method challenges viewers to engage deeply with the artwork, prompting them to fill the spaces with their interpretations and connections, thereby co-creating the narrative.
Ken Goshen, In His Own Image, oil on panel, 8 x 6 in.
The practice of artistic reduction, inspired by Tzimtzum, highlights the importance of what is omitted as much as what is included. By deliberately limiting our scope, we invite deeper resonance with the viewer, making the artwork a collaborative space between the artist's intent and the viewer's imagination.
Reflecting on Tzimtzum within the context of painting emphasizes the universal nature of creation through restraint and focus. It teaches us that creating space—for otherness, for personal interpretation, for engagement—is both a divine and deeply human act, pivotal to the artistic process. Embracing Tzimtzum's principles allows artists and viewers to engage in a shared creative journey, one that is as much about the act of revealing as it is about concealing, as much about what is present as what is absent, thereby fostering a richer, more nuanced experience of art, and of life.