An Exhibit That Couldn't Be More = Timely

Friday, February 17, = 2006
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Arts = &=20 Culture
An Exhibit That = Couldn't Be=20 More Timely
By Menachem = Wecker
February 17, 2006

The loose energy and gutsy temperament of "Israeli Tank," Mark = Podwal's=20 nine-barreled tank (menorah), typify his larger repertoire. = Podwal, who=20 has drawn an estimated 200 times for The New York Times since = 1972,=20 submitted his tank to the op-ed page in 1982. The art director = loved it;=20 the editor cut it last minute, calling it too inflammatory. Like a = phoenix, the drawing re-emerged. It ran with Abba Eban's 1989 = op-ed,=20 "Israel, Hardly the Monaco of the Middle East" (same art director, = different editor), winning the Society for News Design Award of = Excellence=20 =97 a rarity for The Times.

"Israeli Tank" is just one piece in a new exhibit =97 Framed by = Words:=20 The Art of Mark Podwal, opening February 12 at Yeshiva University = Museum =97=20 that shows 30 years of Times op-ed illustrations. The show = couldn't=20 be more timely: As cities throughout Europe and the Middle East = experience=20 protests over an editorial cartoon perceived to be anti-Islam, a = review of=20 Podwal's images =97 confrontational yet deferential editorial = cartoons =97=20 seems almost essential.

Podwal calls his work "illuminations" that "do something more" = than=20 display images that pictorially restate texts. Indeed, "something = more"=20 might be the perfect dictum for this dermatologist, who has = illustrated=20 five Elie Wiesel books and participated in a slew of shows at = Forum=20 Gallery, The Jewish Museum and elsewhere. In addition, Podwal has = designed=20 a Seder plate and two Hamsas (a pin and a bookmark) for the = Metropolitan=20 Museum of Art, and 16-kiln cast windows for the United Jewish = Appeal=20 headquarters in Manhattan.

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