Looking for art by Jackson Pollock in contemporary form? Then poured and layered paintings by Haim Mizrahi might be what you're looking for. Inspired by Pollock, Frank Stella and others, Haim Mizrahi channels abstract expressionism masters but makes the work his own. Through the use of poured paint directed from above a canvas, Mizrahi's paintings meld a mastery of technique, the instinctual trust of the process and influences of poetry, music and art when making his contemporary abstract paintings.
Paintings and sculpture by Haim Mizrahi are currently on view at Vered Gallery in East Hampton in the Project Room of the Hamptons gallery. Exhibited art include abstract paintings and mixed media floor sculptures. Art by Haim Mizrahi is held in private collections in New York City, The Hamptons, Israel and other locations.
Born in Jerusalem, Mizrahi attended school for physical rehabilitation. After having served in the Army, he immigrated to the U.S. in 1983, and has been a resident of East Hampton, N.Y. ever since. Jackson Pollock isn't the only Hamptons artist to influence Mizrahi's art. Other strong influences on Mizrahi's paintings and sculptures were made by poets, musicians and artists from more recent Hamptons creatives. Allowing creativity from multiple artistic areas to flow and co-mingle is visually realized in the energy and passion manifested in his art.
"Music, painting and poetry are my passions," explains Mizrahi. "I spent five years, from 1989 through 1994, studying with artist, poet and writer Siv Cedering (1939-2007), and seven years, 2003 through 2010, with Allen Planz (1937-2010), both were my poetry mentors. I also spent a year studying music and drums with Kenwood Denard. As a self-taught artist, I appreciate the mentorship I received from both landscape artist Steven Romm and Michael Knigin (1942-2011), who was a pioneer in his use of digital technology to make his art."
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"Music Sheet #16" by Haim Mizrahi, 2015. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy Vered Gallery.
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Elaborating on his passion for art, Mizrahi says, "I am aware of just about every ingredient that brings together a desire to live, and the willingness to cope with the desire is the crown of my journey. In short, I am a technique related artist rather than a subject related artist. Talent and inspiration are a given and, therefore, my complete effort lies within the process of accumulation and build-up of 'emotional layers' in the work."
Mizrahi’s paintings and collages are defined by recurrent themes that include creative energy, individuality and kinetic power. Usually working in a blaze of color, elements of Mizrahi’s sometimes graphic, sometimes free-form style bring artists such as Frank Stella and Jackson Pollock to mind, yet he always shines as an artistic original.
“My work stretches across many styles due to my detachment from rules and points of reference that speak for the journey of the great masters,” Mizrahi says. “I value the energy that finds itself smiling through the end result.”
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"Music Sheet #11" by Haim Mizrahi, 2015. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy Vered Gallery.
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Vered Gallery owner Janet Lehr says, “The works of Haim Mizrahi mean a great deal to me. For me, they embody the support of Israel at a time when the world has become hostile. Mizrahi’s paintings evoke freedom and above all, hope.”
Some Hamptons residents and visitors may recognize Mizrahi, who Lehr calls a “Renaissance man for the 21st century,” as the host of his morning talk show Hello! Hello! on LTV in East Hampton. Also a poet, writer and jazz musician, Mizrahi has published several CDs of music and a number of books, including a collection of pithy aphorisms called "There Is No Simple Way to Say Simple Things, a Snack for Your Mind". His poems are featured in Long Island Sounds, an anthology of poems by Long Island poets. His art work has been exhibited extensively in The Hamptons and in Israel.
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"Music Sheets White and Gray, a pair" by Haim Mizrahi, 2015. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy Vered Gallery.
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Mizrahi sees his paintings inextricably woven with music and poetry and often performs with other musicians and reads poetry at events timed with his exhibitions. Lehr says, "His shows are not-to-be-missed happenings."
Mizrahi’s art exudes tremendous energy and life affirming forces and poetry and music contribute to these qualities. If Mizrahi "gets in a bind" while working on his abstract images, he takes a break to play the drums or write a poem to redirect his creative drive. Dedicated to a daily art making practice, Mizrahi says, "I just continue doing every day the same thing in the same fashion. This will produce results and it means the art will come to life.”
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Detail of "Music Sheet # 25" by Haim Mizrahi, 2016. Acrylic on canvas, 46 x 176 inches. Courtesy Vered Gallery.
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Ultimately, this is Mizrahi’s goal—to bring his paintings to life without thinking or judging what he has made. “I don’t come to the studio to get ready to paint," he says. "I walk in and just turn the heat on; I just release paint on the surface. My body will paint even if my head is detached.”
Mizrahi relies on music, particularly, when creating an accumulation of layers. Each layer in Mizrahi's paintings have a different color and is subject to different musical counts. “I use the tempo in music to create the images. I stick with the plan,” he stresses. “I don’t change my mind in the middle of my creating.”
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"Vuv Shishi" by Haim Mizrahi, 2014. Mixed media on canvas. Courtesy Vered Gallery.
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Mizrahi’s penchant for poetry (and his drumming) go back a long way, back to his life in Jerusalem where he was also a house painter. His sister, a well-known poet in Israel, encouraged his early efforts and he's never stopped writing, even though English is a second language. Since starting to paint in the late 1990s, Mizrahi hasn’t stopped painting, saying "The process itself is stronger than we are."
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"Return to Sender" by Haim Mizrahi, 2014. Mixed media. Courtesy Vered Gallery.
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BASIC FACTS: Paintings and sculptures by Haim Mizrahi are exhibited in the Project Room at Vered Gallery, 68 Park Place, East Hampton, NY 11937. www.veredart.com.
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