Gideon Gechtman | |
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| Born | (1942-12-17)17 December 1942 |
| Died | 27 November 2008(2008-11-27) (aged 65) |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Known for | sculpture |
| Movement | Israeli art |
Gideon Gechtman (17 December 1942 – 27 November 2008) was an Israeliartist andsculptor. His art is most noted for holding a dialogue withdeath, often in relation with his own biography.
Gideon Gechtman was born on 17 December 1942 inAlexandria,Egypt. He moved to theBritish mandate of Palestine with his family in 1945. He studied at theAvni Institute of Art and Design (1961–1962),Hammersmith College of Art (1968–1971), theEaling School of Art, andTel Aviv University (1975–1976).
After returning from London with his future wife singer/actressBat-Sheva Zeisler, he created minimalistic art that was typical for that period. These works were described to "didactically demonstrate structural and figurative change in material and appearance."[1] Gechtman taught at theBezalel Academy of Art and Design inJerusalem (1972–1975) and theArt Teachers Training College ofBeit Berl Academic College (1971–2008).
In 1973 Gechtman had his first solo exhibition in the Yodfat Gallery inTel Aviv. The exhibition, named "Exposure", signified Gechtman's increasing interest in the connection between art and the biographic dimension. On the walls of the gallery were enlarged photographs of the body shaving process before theopen heart surgery that Gechtman underwent in 1973. Also in this exhibition were real and fabricated documents regarding Gechtman's medical condition. At the closure of the exhibition Gechtman put up obituaries for himself in Israeli dailiesHaaretz and theJerusalem Post, as well as around his home inRishon LeZion. Gechtman told later about the reactions: "Teachers from Bezalel said to me: 'Have you gone mad? You frightened everyone.'"[2] The obituaries were a returning element in Gechtman's art for years to come.
In 1999, he exhibited a remodelled hospital environment under the name Yotam, named after his son who had died.
Gideon Gechtman died of heart failure on 27 November 2008. He was 65.[3]
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