Nurit Kenaan-Kedar (Tel-Aviv. Israel) (Part 2)
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Joint Workshop Karakashyana-Balian In 1922 Mkrtich Karakashyan Nshan Balian and left the studio of David Hovhannisyan and founded his own entitled "The Palestinian Ceramics" here in Jerusalem, the streets of Nablus, 14. Continuing the tradition of Kütahya ceramics, they have created a vast vocabulary of pictorial forms, intended for the tiles, and for pottery vessels. Since the beginning of the workshop Karakashyana-Balian highlighted ancient Christian elements, in contrast to the traditions of Iznik and Kütahya, which focused on images of flowers and plant branches.
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The transition to a new set of forms to reflect the new reality - Jerusalem, where the artists lived in the local Armenian Christian community. The first monumental work-shop Karakashyana Balian was done for the Armenian cemetery on Mount Zion - that's four out of six large panels installed in the wall in the public gallery as background for the large stone sarcophagi in the tombs of Armenian Patriarchs of Jerusalem. The panels were set up in 1930 after the cessation of work on the restoration of the Rock mosque, for which the Armenian artists were invited to Jerusalem.
In the center of all panels shows the grand cross, similar cross-stone cross - here he was to serve as a symbol of the resurrection of the dead and the triumph of the Church. Two of the panels signed intertwined Armenian letters? and? - Initial letters of names and Mkrtich Nshan. Subsequently, the artists used as a signature only their names. In the daily work of the studio Karakashyana-Balian source of inspiration and a model were also two local mosaic floor - a mosaic of birds VI century from the Armenian chapel, a crypt in Jerusalem (see the article by N. Kenaan-Kedar in "ANIV» № 10 (1) 2007 .) and VIII century mosaic from the Umayyad palace near Jericho. The first was opened in 1895 and contains a token for the language of early Christian art images. Curls vine symbolize the blood of Christ, a basket of fruit - the flesh of Christ, the birds - the souls of believers, a bird in a cage - the soul imprisoned in body shell. The initial work of the studio Karakashyana-Balian borrowed scheme and the images of this mosaic. In some cases, the whole composition was included in the painted vases. Mosaic from the palace of the Umayyad depicts the tree of life in the form of a spreading apple tree. Left - two gazelles graze peacefully, right - the lion that attacked gazelle. In works from studio Karakashyana-Balian has lost value dilution on opposite sides of good and evil characters, underwent a small image of a tree, but numerous changes. Antelope, gazelle or a young deer, which graze on pasture alone and looking up, also became an important motivation for the workshop.
These images that adorn the palace of the Umayyads, had met frequently in early Christian art. Lan, as a symbol of the soul of the believer ( "As a deer wants to flows of water, so wants my soul after thee, O God" Psalm 41:2), often depicted in the baptismal chapels next to the images of the reservoirs and streams, symbolizing the source of life. After the departure of David Hovhannisyan, in 1948, the joint workshop Karakashyana-Balian remained the only workshop of Armenian ceramics in Jerusalem. In 1963 Mkrtich Karakashyan and Nshan Balian created the last of his monumental work for the facade of the cathedral of St. James in the Armenian quarter of the city. Painted in green and blue colors of the panel are saturated with light areas on the surface of the stone facade. In the center of each of the two panels on the right and left of the main entrance is a niche for the latticed doors. The inscription in Armenian have left the niche reads: "This work is made Mkrtich Karakashyanom and Nshan Balyan in memory of their fathers. 1963 ". Workshop Karakashyana-Balian worked in accordance with long tradition, where the artist plays a leading rol.Vnachale he draws on paper, then in the workshop of his drawings are transferred to the product and paint.
And, of course, in some cases, the artist draws directly on the pan, affirming the rights of the creator. The differences and variations between the initial design on paper and all copies thereof to the dish, as well as the art of direct painting utensils or ceramic tiles are not yet known and should be the subject of future studies. Such drawings - a treasure house studio and archive its vocabulary of forms. They allow you to use the old designs in our days, in combination with new elements.
In the division in 1964 between Sedrak Balyan (1922-1996) and Stepan Karakashyanom (born 1929) was also divided into common property - raw materials for paints and samples of design on paper. Numerous pictures were similar in each of the studio - they were on hand, as the sketches used by several workers in the same time. This allowed the artists to continue their work with the very point at which there was a partition. Although the symbolism of images seen in both studios alike, the development of a common heritage going on in different ways.