Articles by Samantha Baskind
Archie Rand's The Seventeen: Iron Flock, 2024
Seventeen: Iron Flock is a multi-canvas mural depicting the contributions of seventeen assertive ... more Seventeen: Iron Flock is a multi-canvas mural depicting the contributions of seventeen assertive biblical women in Jewish religion and history. Encouraging conversation about their diverse and decisive roles, Rand sees Iron Flock as "a grouping of Jewish heroes who are women, appearing in an underreported story that should have a painted monument sampling the collective. " Produced for the sixth Jerusalem Biennale, themed "Iron Flock" (Tzon Barzel in Hebrew), in the Spring of 2024, Rand draws on this phrase from the Mishnah that declares the inalienable assets that women bring to a marriage. A more contemporary interpretation views women themselves as assets to the Jewish people, and it is this praise that inspired Rand's paintings. Mining Midrash and Apocrypha, Rand feshed out stories about lesser-known biblical fgures to be viewed in concert with the readily recognizable. He presents the women in intriguing new ways amid a kaleidoscope of imagery derived from myriad sources. Tese include comics and pulp magazines, children's book illustrations, and classic American and Italian flms, among other unlikely visual precedents.
Audrey Flack: With Darkness Comes Stars, 2024
Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, 2024
In October 2023, as part of the Superman's Cleveland series of events celebrating 85 years of Jer... more In October 2023, as part of the Superman's Cleveland series of events celebrating 85 years of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's creations, I sat down at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Laura Siegel Larson, the daughter of Jerry and Joanne Siegel. Siegel Larson shared stories about the birth of Superman and Lois Lane, and reflected on their legacy today. She offered insights into the early days of Siegel and Shuster's working process and efforts to get the iconic character published in a young comic book industry. In addition to her family history, which is intimately intertwined with that of Superman, Siegel Larson also shared her own personal feelings about Superman and Lois, the many actors who have played them on television and film, and the future of the characters.
Audrey Flack: Force of Nature, 1949-1956, 2022
American Jewish Archives, 2021
Mavcor, 2021
Why did a 19th-century Jewish American artist sculpt Eve without her bellybutton?
Esther in America: The Scroll’s Interpretation in, and Impact on, the United States , 2020
Cleveland Jews and the Making of a Midwestern Community , 2020
Panorama: Journal of the Association of Historians of American Art, 2019
American Jewish History, 2019
Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, 2018
Published transcript of an interview with Laura Siegel Larson, daughter of Superman creator Jerry... more Published transcript of an interview with Laura Siegel Larson, daughter of Superman creator Jerry Siegel.
Archie Rand: The Book of Judith, 2016
Visualizing Jewish Narrative: Jewish Comics and Graphic Novels, 2016
Bernard Perlin, Judaism and the Lower East Side
In Focus: Orthodox Boys 1948 by Bernard Perlin , 2016
Journal of Modern Jewish Studies, 2015
In this article, I aim to nuance previous assessments of Bernard Picart as an unbiased portrayer ... more In this article, I aim to nuance previous assessments of Bernard Picart as an unbiased portrayer of Jews by paying special attention to his often overlooked, crucial frontispiece, which complicates his larger agenda.
Peter Blume: Nature and Metamorphosis , 2015
Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies , 2013
This article presents some Jewish American artists’ own thoughts on the Jewishness of their art o... more This article presents some Jewish American artists’ own thoughts on the Jewishness of their art or the spiritual dimensions that shape their artistic conceptions. Several rich sources have supplied this important primary material, including the artists’ personal writings, notably an impressive body of autobiographical books and comments, and the my own oral interviews and written correspondence with many of the living artists.
Jewish Quarterly Review, 2011
American Art, 2011
A tribute, soon after his death, to American social realist Jack Levine.
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Articles by Samantha Baskind