Misha Rapoport- "Bein Hashmashot"
(Between Day and Night)

In his new exhibition "Bein Hashmashot" Misha Rapoport sets his sights on creating a sanctuary of tranquility and contemplations. In today’s world, one is constantly exposed to excessive amounts of noise and information, which are a direct result of living in the era of speed and hyper-communication. In this exhibition, Rapoport wishes to create a sanctuary from the turmoil by escorting the viewer into a world of contemplation and intimacy and by making the viewer a participant in the reflective process of the characters. Within this sanctuary of tranquility the artist conceives an elaborate system of multifarious meanings: near- far, rejection-attraction, concrete versus abstract and of reflections which are both imminent and transcendental at the same time.

The title "Bein Hashmashot" derives originally from the Jewish "Halacha" and is referring to the time between the setting of the sun and the rising of the stars – a time which belongs to neither day nor night, thus referring to a concept of "In Between". Indeed, Misha Rapoprt's figures are portrayed at an "in between" state: in between the realm of thought and contemplation and the realm of physical matter. The term "Bein Hashmashot" also ascribes to the notion of connection - the point of connection between day and night. And that notion is reflected in Rapoport's paintings: apart from the connection between the material realm and the spiritual realm there also is a connection between the portrayed figures and the spectators, seeing that the manner in which the figures are presented to the viewer, in an intimate state of meditation and reflection, results in the formation of an instant rapport between them and the spectators.

However, the relations between the spectators and the figures that Rapoport creates are more complex than this initial rapport. The spectators can either view themselves as standing outside the presented situation or they can envision themselves as an integral part of the characters' private and intimate world. The fact that the figures are painted with their backs facing the viewers emphasizes the ambivalent element in the paintings: on the one hand, the figures' position implies estrangement and alienation. On the other hand, the same position is reminiscent of intimate caressing or "spooning".

Furthermore, the figures are barely clothed and the choice of wardrobe or lack thereof, is integral to the dual message which the artist is conveying. It is true that the partial nudity generates a sense of intimacy and familiarity between the spectators and the characters. However, it also amplifies the notion of external voyeurism due to the dissonance between the viewers' attire (in the context of a formal exhibition displayed at a public venue) and that of the viewed figures.

The choice of background for the characters derives from the dialogue which the artist conducts with the oeuvres of Mark Rothko and it plays a vital role in highlighting the reflective element of the paintings. Rothko, in his works, aimed at refining his artistic language to the sheer elements of emotion and experience. The stylistic format quoted by Rapoport, of one rectangle on top of the other, evokes various associations such as heaven and earth, the relations between man and god and the pursuit of the sublime, all of which relate to the notion of inner reflection present in Rapoport's works.

This combination of concrete tangible realism and conceptual abstractionism echoes the notion of the two realms: the physical and the spiritual. Moreover, the neutral abstract background, lacking in identifying features of time and place alongside the fact that the portrayed figures are faceless, conjures the sentiment of timelessness and inclusion while sending the viewers to their individual inner world- weaving an elaborate web of the universal and the private.

As far as Rapoport is concerned, the portrayed subject can be associated with the notion of "Truth". When one is alone with their innermost thoughts, the only voice being heard is the sound of their own voice. Appearances, social interactions, are always affected by external factors whether it is by choice or as a result of social conceptions imprinted since childhood. Any given place or situation has their own set of social guidelines and rules which do not necessarily coincide with how one may be feeling at that precise moment. Man is imprisoned in a behavioral mould resulting from a general conception of what is considered "proper etiquette".

The only place where one has complete freedom, with no reservation, is within the realm of one's inner world or intimate circle. The inner world offers absolute independence, with no external laws, where each individual is a master of his own domain. Furthermore, in the realm of thought one is inevitably bound to confront the true core of their existence, their inner most honest truth. It is impossible to escape from it or deny it. That single moment of "Bein Hashmashot"- between wakefulness and sleep, of inner observation and meditation is, according to Rapoport, the moment of absolute truth.

 



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