Radiant Circles: Ruth E. Levine's Generous Life

October 23, 2012 - January 11, 2013

American Jewish Museum of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh (AJM)

This exhibit was the first to comprehensively represent the artistic career of the late Ruth E. Levine (1936-2010). Having moved to Pittsburgh from Washington, D.C. in 1998, she spent just over a decade here. In that time, the artistic community fully embraced her, and she exhibited at venues like the Carnegie Museum of Art, The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Fe Gallery, and Gallerie Chiz. 

Her interests in literature and mathematics prominently mark her oeuvre. Interpreting her works requires uncovering exactly what her inspirations were. It's an inquisitive process.

At the AJM, text panels and an exhibition guide nicely led viewers through the exhibit by describing the ideas that were at the root of Levine's works.

Inukshuk, it was created to make the desolate land appear inhabited; 25.5 x 35 inches; oil pastel on slate.

In Inukshuk, Levine refers to stone landmarks that natives of the Arctic region of North America built and used for navigation. Slate - the perfect medium for it!

In Some Kingdom, 33.5 x 25 inches, colored pencil on handmade Japanese paper.

First in Italian, and then in English, individually stamped letters form a poem. I don't know the source of the poem, but it's just enough to sound like the start of a story. It makes me wonder... what comes next?

Once upon a time in some kingdom, in some country

      there lived

      a golden tiger

      a red pine tree

and a hunter in grey boots

The direct association between words and their visual representation makes this piece particularly intriguing. Repetition and pattern is evident throughout much of Levine's work. In this case, the poetry, spatial arrangement, and story/ line/ color repetition combine to create a beautiful cadence.

It's visually rhythmic because there is an auditory element to it. Poetry. The text gives off this subtle air of suspense, and following the colored lines (like reading) for the length of the composition makes me feel like the story does go on. I'm really fascinated with it.

Pattern Overload; 100 x 5.5 inches (opened); notebook with pencil, marking pen, and watercolor.

This book obviously portrays Levine's interest in patterns. Oh, the infinite possibilities for patterns!

As a whole, Radiant Circles: Ruth E. Levine's Generous Life demonstrates her experimentation with different shapes, colors, and media, as well as her personal interests, from geography in her State Series to anthropology in her Nabatean Intervals Series. This exhibit offered a lovely review of and caring look into Levine's artistic contributions.

Furthermore, beside certain artworks in the exhibit, wall texts with commentary from Levine's friends offered intimate perspectives on her life, increasing the impact the late artist could have on viewers. I'll conclude with the words of Adrienne Heinrich, who reflected on Levine's personality and artwork:

While in her presence, I always felt that I was being "cared for" and embraced by her totally. Her warmth for other people was so obvious. She made other people feel that they were important. She never drew attention to her own importance in her manner or in her dress, but always radiated warmth. It was a tremendous gift that she bestowed on others.

I see it in her work; the complete intellectual attention to the study of each subject of her concentration, her desire to know and to see. She stripped away non-essentials, getting to the heart of the message, without pretense, by thorough investigation literally and figuratively. There was no glamour in her presentation. It was honest and straightforward, the result of her deep interest in the subject.