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Michael Shacham A Short Biography
A Short Biography Michael Shacham has had a long and
interesting professional career as a sculptor. Born in New York City, he grew up
on a Kibbutz in Israel.
He started learning sculpture at a very
early age being encouraged by his grandfather Samuel Persoff, himself a
professional artist. Afterwards he
studied as an apprentice to Israeli Sculptors Y. Shemi, and later with I.
Danziger. He then studied at the
Art Students League of New York for almost 5 years, and took some art history
courses at the New School.
Returning to Israel at the end of
1966, He built the first successful art bronze foundry in Israel. It is still
operating today under the name of AP.
Casting.
In 1974 he returned to working as a sculptor full time.
Michael Shacham had his first one man show
in 1967 at a Gallery in Tel Aviv, Israel. He has since had many exhibitions of
his work in Israel, Europe and in the USA, resulting in a large number of
sculptures in private and public collections both here and overseas. Mr. Shacham
has also won several public commissions including “The Dolphins”, At
Metroplex I and The Long Beach Island library, Birds in Flight at Metroplex II,
The
Mr. Shacham is teaching sculpture at
the present time at the Morris County Art Association, and at the American
Woodcarving School. He taught at Ramapo Collage in the spring of
2000, and privately. He was also the director of the Cerulean Gallery.
While most of his work is pure sculpture, he has done some Judaic work
such Menorahs, and sculpted
Judgment Day Bronze, 3' High x 6' Long Price: $50,000.00
My
main artistic direction is toward figurative and more realistic work rather than
the cascade of changing styles that was typical of the art of the 20th century
being promoted in much of the art world publications. I still believe that there
must be a reason to create fine art, and that reason has nothing to do with the
prevailing theories of art that are promoted by various art critics in
periodicals and curators in some of the national museums. Many of these people
have embraced artists that have great sounding theories but do not show much
artistic talent in the execution of these works, so when these works are
exhibited, they need someone to explain them to the public to justify their
existence, and therein lays the opportunity for a curator to write and expand
upon his/her artistic theories, and perhaps gain national recognition. When this
happens they start feeding upon each other’s theories and in the processes the
really fine art gets lost.
In my view talent, quality of execution, and the power of ideas dealing
with the essence of life in its beauty, power, love, war, struggle, human depth,
and sometimes confusion, the search for self, and self-fulfillment, are the
source of my inspiration. I see paintings and sculpture as the artist’s
language with which we can communicate with the world around us, and we hope
that we do not need an interpreter to use another language to reach our public.
When I am at my best, I would like to believe that the public can feel my Michael
Shacham
Artistic Direction
Memorial for the Unknown Solider 10' bronze sculpture
in Caesarea Israel
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