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Moshe Givati puts Equus on Canvas

City Arts — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 14:46:37 +0000

Peter Shaffer’s 1974 Broadway Play, Equus, sparked within Israeli artist Moshe Givati memories of moving to Israel from Romania in the midst of World War II. Unable to speak Hebrew, at the age of five, Givati turned to painting as his only means of expression. Givati often painted horses, whose power and freedom restrained by man may have been metaphorically representative of his simultaneous desire (and inability) to be free as an artist and communicator. Years after seeing Shaffer’s play in 1977, Givati was able to thoroughly channel and process this deep-rooted insecurity and frustration to establish himself as an artist. His exhibition at the Jadite Galleries in Clinton, “Equus Ambiguity – Emergence of Maturity” is revealing of this mental torment. Characterized by violent images and blood reds juxtaposed with lines and crosses, his paintings suggest his inward battle between societal conformity and ultimate expression.

Tragically, Givati died this April, only two months prior to the exhibition’s opening. As curator Deena Lusky writes in her statement on display in each of the three rooms in the gallery, Givati was never quite able to answer for himself the question, “Does being “normal” in [our] culture entail losing one’s individuality and learning to live without passion?” Throughout his artistic life, Givati was far from “normal,” though he struggled to find his own “individuality” and “passion.” Perhaps stemming from his insecurity in not fitting into the Israeli arts scene in New York throughout the 60s and 70s, Givati’s disapproval of himself is overwhelmingly apparent in “Equus Ambiguity.”

Givati’s paintings are marked by Xs, as he literally crossed-out many of his illustrations (or beginnings of illustrations). Specifically, in his two-canvas painting with an orange background, Givati depicted three horse heads, two of whose necks form a perfect perpendicular cross. On top of these solid shapes, Givati painted large Xs in red. In the remaining blank space, Givati used green and blue to form yet another X, which then covered this with even more red Xs. The crosses in this painting (as well as most paintings of the series) may represent Givati’s mental block from fully executing an idea—in his practice generally (the intended cross in the horses’ necks), and more specifically, in the red crosses atop his shapes.

To read the full review at City Arts click here.

Endorsement: Clyde Williams for Congress

West Side Spirit — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 17:11:06 +0000

Rep. Charles Rangel was once one of the most powerful men in Congress. He has a distinguished war record and a record of accomplishment over his 42 years in Congress. But two years ago, he admitted to serious “mistakes” and decided to give up his source of power, the position of chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee. He faced a less impressive field of opponents then, so we gave him a marginal endorsement in the hope that better candidates would emerge in 2012.

Our hope has been realized, with two strong candidates in the 13th congressional district’s Democratic primary: State Sen. Adriano Espaillat and Clyde Williams, a man with experience on the national stage as well as in Harlem, still the heart of the newly drawn district.

Our nod goes to Williams, who presents the clearest vision—really a laser-like focus on how to bring more jobs back to the district. With his experience in job and community development in Harlem and elsewhere and with his ties to President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton, he has the best chance to be the district’s most effective representative, particularly if the president wins re-election.

We like Williams’ record, his intelligence and his problem-solving skills.

Espaillat has had an admirable career fighting good fights in Albany, but he hasn’t given us a reason to think he will be as effective as Williams in Washington. Although jobs and the economy are important issues to him, they are not his top priority.

Rangel, for his part, did not present us with a clear vision of what he hoped to accomplish in the next two years. He does not appear to have the energy and focus he once did.

Add to that his ethical problems, which are much more serious than “spitting on the sidewalk,” as he described them us. Even if you accept Rangel’s claim that he was railroaded into an unfair admission agreement and censure, he nevertheless is a fallen political star. The president and other Democratic leaders pay a political price if they get too close to him.

He believes the accusations are no longer an issue because he was re-elected overwhelmingly in 2010, but that ignores the fact that the district has changed and many voters are looking at Rangel for the first time.

Much of the Upper West Side has been cut out to include more of the East Side and parts of the Bronx.

The other two candidates in the race, Joyce Johnson and Craig Schley, have not run strong campaigns and did not give us reason to think they could be effective.

Clyde Williams is the best candidate in the race and we endorse him in the June 26 Democratic primary.

Tom Duane Closes Door on Senate

NY Press — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 16:41:14 +0000

By Megan Bungeroth and Alissa Fleck
Last week, State Sen. Tom Duane surprised both the political world and his constituents by announcing his intention to retire at the end of his current Senate term. The seven-term Democratic legislator, who represents parts of the Upper West Side as well as Clinton, Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea, the West Village, NoHo and Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town, has been an accomplished advocate for gay rights as well as health care, and plans to focus on continuing his advocacy outside of Albany.

“I wanted to do something else and realized it’s time to start the next chapter,” Duane said in a recent interview. “I would say ‘retire’ is not a completely accurate term; I’m just not ready for re-election. I plan to continue working in my own small way to make the world a better place.”

Duane, who was elected in 1998 and was New York’s first openly gay senator, was the first senator to introduce the Marriage Equality Act in 2001 and continued to push for its support until it was passed last year. He also made waves in 1991 when he won election to the City Council after disclosing his HIV-positive status, and in the Senate he passed legislation expanding routine HIV testing.

Duane said he is proud to have passed laws that directly impact his constituents as well as serve as models for other cities.
“I supported the Midwifery Modernization Act to allow nurse midwives to practice in New York State. I’ve supported routine HIV testing and helped lessen the stigma, particularly within correctional facilities. I also supported the prohibition of insurance companies to create tier four drugs with incredibly expensive co-payments,” Duane said of his accomplishments.

He also introduced the anti-bullying Dignity for All Students Act in the Senate and fought for its successful passage, helped secure passage of a law that eliminates the criminal statute of limitations on many serious sex crimes and worked on measures that toughened laws against hate crimes and discrimination.

Duane’s announcement to leave public office after the current Senate term, which ends Dec. 31, has many already lamenting his departure and others scrambling to replace him.

“I am sad to hear of Tom Duane’s departure from public life,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, whose district overlaps Duane’s, in a statement. “Locally, he has been a powerful and unyielding advocate for affordable housing and tenants’ rights, serving his constituents as only a truly committed and compassionate public servant can. In Albany, Tom has been a legendary champion for civil rights, sponsoring and supporting legislation over the years to benefit all New Yorkers.”
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio also praised the senator, singling out his contributions to gay rights in the state.

“Today’s generation of LGBTQ youth will grow up in a world made more free and more fair because of Tom’s service,” de Blasio said in a statement. “He will always be remembered for his pivotal role in securing marriage equality for all New Yorkers.”

Hoping to follow in Duane’s footsteps, current chair of Community Board 2 and longtime Democratic activist Brad Hoylman has already officially declared his candidacy for the seat. Hoylman is promising to bring reform to Albany and continue Duane’s legacy of fighting for equality at the state level, and political players expect him to receive the coveted endorsement from Duane himself.

City & State also reports that a woman named Tanika Inlaw has been going to local Democratic clubs to seek support for a 29th District candidacy that she announced on Facebook last week.

Duane said that for the time being, he’s focused on finishing out his final term strongly. But he said that he’ll definitely miss parts of the job.

“I’ll miss the challenges of garnering the widest possible support for issues I believe in, especially from people who have not shared my points of view,” Duane said. “I’ll miss finding that common ground and working with people in a collegial manner to pass bills that help people in a way they should be helped.”

Horsedrawn Carriages May Be Forced Into Retirement

admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 23:04:32 +0000

Assemblymember Rosenthal re-doubles effort to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC.

“Handsome cabs,” the horse-drawn carriages and tourist draw that occupy much of Central Park and environs, may be about to have their “licenses suspended” indefinitely. The proposed retirement plan was brought to State Legislators by Senator Tony Avella (D-Bayside) and Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan), who together first introduced the bill on May 16, 2011.

(Photo courtesy of AnnieGreenSprings)

Assemblymember Rosenthal, who resides over parts of Clinton and Hell’s Kitchen is advocating the bill as an effective ban of horse-drawn carriages throughout the city, further requiring “the humane relocation, sale, or disposal (where necessary) of the horses released from their service.” If passed, the law would allow an 18-day grace for carriage drivers, so that they can arrange for the safe relocation of their horses.

A string of recent events have renewed Rosenthal’s concerns regarding the horse-drawn carriage business, and the dangers they pose to both horses and citizens. On Saturday, Mar. 3, a horse pulling an empty carriage was frightened, and ran into heavy traffic, which upended its carriage and put the horse in danger among vehicles for several blocks, until it became exhausted.

“Despite an increasing number of serious accidents involving horse-drawn carriages in the last several months, the City has refused to take any action to protect the public and the horses,” said Assemblymember Rosenthal. “The City’s congested streets are no place for horses, and horse-drawn carriages pose a serious danger to the public’s safety. It is just a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed as a result of this industry.”

While several animal rights groups, including the ASPCA are in agreement with Aseemblymember Rosenthal, Michael McKeon, a spokesperson for the Teamsters Joint Council 16, has said, “No one loves the horses more than the drivers, and to suggest otherwise is outrageous and wrong. The sad truth is that Tony Avella and the rest of the crowd care nothing about the welfare of these horses…to replace them with some ridiculous antique car scheme is a business plan.”

Public opinion does, however, seem to side in favor of carriage bans. According to a Wall Street Journal survey of over 1,500 readers in Oct., 2011, the public heavily favors (76 percent) an outright ban of horse-drawn carriages. And for animal advocates, there can be no greater send off for the iconic carriage horses than a peaceful retirement away from the concrete jungle.