Exhibition Description
Orit Lotringer/ may 2022
“Park HaAgam” exhibition in Raanana
Dasi’s paintings are characterized by layers of paint placed one on another and lines indicating happenings and figures in different positions. The paintings present the viewer with a kind of spiritually charged inward looking indication, that is transferred onto the painting. Her work relates to “intuitive painting”. Her hand flows with the brush over the painting, creating lines and marks without planning or preparation. Dasi turns the painting around, seeking new ways of looking at it, and continues to paint in a burst of creativity. In most of the paintings it is possible to identify clues of figures of women, animals and various views. The figures presented are not a reflection of reality, at times they are surrealistic. Gazing at her paintings can become a sort of meditation in itself. There is something delicate to them, not at all aggressive, and they are open to interpretation and commentary. The paintings flow between reality and fantasy. They are mainly painted with acrylic with the occasional addition of materials such as chalk, glues, leaf prints, collages with coffee capsules and more.
The rhythm and movement in the paintings sometimes remind one of musical scales tracing the sound of music that Dasi hears while painting her works.
In the Direction of Wind/ January 2021
Individual exhibition, Dasi Ravid at the Haan Ashkelon/Mary Rosenblum
I met 3 artists at the Haan Ashkelon. 3 wonderful creators. Two of them are presenting their exhibitions now and the charming third will do so afterwards. The established curator, Hannah Raviv, is very knowledgeable and very active. Firstly, I must say a few words about this building, the Haan in Ashkelon.
The Haan is located in Independence Square. It is a building of cultural and historical value. It was established in the Mamluk period in the 14th century. It comprises elements from various historical periods, a symbol of the long history of Ashkelon. In the past it served as the great mosque of the city Majdal. It is a key monument in the heart of the urban centre, connecting the old and the new and giving a special urban atmosphere. Today, many varying artistic exhibitions are presented here. Workshops also take place here under the supervision of Hannah Raviv. I met the 3 artists individually and they remained in my heart throughout the lovely day I spent there. The creations, the total love of the work and in particular the flow that I have already referred to in the past. It accompanies, guides and connects - Come and meet Dasi Ravid, she has something angelic, gentle and peaceful, an internal quiet that brings out my full attention on the one hand, and distraction of thought and calm viewing on the other hand. Also, her smile is gentle and her speech flows.
Ravid expresses herself
Painting for me is a language of lines and marks, shapes and colours. This is a language that possesses no mistakes, no right and no wrong. This is a way to say what I absorb, feel, understand and express, this is a way to express myself.
A member of Kibbutz Gvaram, she studied with teachers of art and art therapy. Art classes were with Arieh Rotman, Ilana Sela, Pnina Ben Gal, Benny Shemesh and Eli Zarfati. She worked for 20 years as art therapist at Barzilai Hospital, and with traumatized children at the Hosen Centre of the Ashkelon Regional Council. For many years she has been supporting and accompanying children and adults with special needs. She has been awarded many prizes and participated in many exhibitions. In one exhibition she sold 9 paintings and donated more. The average size of her paintings is 73/103. She paints in acrilic and uses a combined technique of chalks and pencils on the canvas. She grew up in Tel Aviv and from a young age was exposed to art and creativity. At no time in her life did she neglect painting, she illustrated journals, made decorations and more. As a member of the Association of Artists and Sculptors of Ashkelon and surroundings she said “in my current paintings I work in my home from within my internal and therapeutic world. I put a line, mark or shape, look at them from different angles and between the lines I create a story that was born of the line, mark and colour. The paintings are not planned but emerge from the canvas, they surprise me and bring me pleasure and a smile of new creation.”
The piece of the grey form was created from gazing at patches of colour and lines that were marked and drawn between strips of dried cactus. We (our family) frequently walk through the country north to south and east to west. On one of our treks, in Nahal Shefer, in the Galil, we gathered dried materials as we went. I glued the cactus leaves onto the canvas, spread gesso over them and then strengthened the picture with a few lines. I looked at the canvas and rotated it. Then I repeated the process again and again, each time working on the canvas from a different perspective. Suddenly a figure looked out of the canvas, inviting me to reinforce it with more marks and lines. She now had a presence and I felt that she needed to remain on the canvas.
The figure with a scarf was created after the scarf at the time of the first Corona shutdown. Maybe there was an unconscious influence of the face masks that burst into our lives. In my work I tend to use sandwich wrapping paper rather than a palatte and sometimes some paint is left on the paper which is a shame to throw away. Here, with this painting, I used the paint remaining on the sandwich paper. I placed the sandwich paper with the leftover paint on the canvas as a sort of printing. I lifted the paper and looked. The outcome was so interesting that I repeated the process a number of times. I stopped and looked at the canvas from different directions. I placed a few lines and suddenly I saw the scarf with a knot at the side. The figure was exposed, grown out of the scarf full of strength and power. She took on presence and colour.
How fascinating is her Art
Mary Rosenblum