Yaacov Agam is an innovator, pioneer and experimenter. He deals with optical and kinetic art. Especially he is best known for three-dimensional paintings and sculptures.
Yaacov Agam invites viewers into the labyrinths of color transformations and their reflections. Spectators participate in the result of the artistic creation and influence it. Furthermore, he frequently uses light and sound in the artworks.
His works are placed in many significant public places and determine them, for example, Fountain in Dizengoff Square or Facade of Dan Hotel in Tel-Aviv. His best known pieces in Kings Gallery are: Megillaht Ester, Geometric Mirror and Magen David.
Please find blogs about “The Agam Mezuzah”, “Kiddush Cup” and “The Bible”.
Early Life
Agam was born in 1928. He grew up in a family of Russian rabbi and kabbalist Yehoshua Gibstein. They lived in an early Jewish settlement in Israel. The future artist started learning to paint at a very young age. Later he studied art in Jerusalem, Zurich, and Paris. During the education in Zurich, Johannes Itten had a great influence on Agam and his art. Also, the painter and sculptor Max Bill played an important role in the formation of artist’s unique style.
His Career
When Agam was 25, his first solo exhibition was held in Paris, where he settled at that time. The name of it was “Peintures en Mouvement” (“Paintings in Movement”). Interestingly, his works included vibrating, tactile elements, as well as manipulable sculptures.
Agam is considered to be an introducer of geometric abstraction to Israeli art. His best known series of works are comprised of painted stripes that appear to shift and oscillate when the observer alters the viewpoint. Remarkably, a type of print, that uses barrier-grid animation to present totally different images became known as “Agamograph” after the artist.
Notable Creations
The artist made up and created the winner’s trophy for the 1999 Eurovision Song Contest that was held in Jerusalem. Also, he designed the world’s largest Menorah. It is installed at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 59th Street in New York City and is lighted up every year during Hanukkah. Addditionally, he created Star of Peace for Ben-Gurion university that fused the five-pointed star of Islam with the six-pointed Star of David.
The works of Agam have been exhibited at many museums: in Paris, Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, New york and many other!
You can find a large selection of his artwork in Kings Gallery.
Kings Gallery is a leading fine art gallery established in Jerusalem in 1995. With over 20 years of experience, Kings Gallery strives to collect and sell the highest quality historic and contemporary International art. The gallery specializes in artists from the early period of the 1920’s. Also, Kings Gallery features leading up-and-coming young artists who will be prominent names in the next few years.
For more information, visit us today and our staff will be happy to help you find your next favorite piece!
