Asaph Ben Menahem's Monumental Woodcuts Explore Trauma and Violence at Oakton College Gallery

From September 10 to October 31, 2003, the William Koehnline Gallery at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, Illinois, presented 27 works by Israeli artist Asaph Ben Menahem. His large-scale woodcuts, often measuring five feet square, channel a raw intensity rooted in German Expressionism while addressing personal and universal crises. Ben Menahem's vision is shaped by the Holocaust's destructive legacy and ongoing bloodshed in Israel, which he describes as 'the bloodiest place on earth.' He uses biblical stories not for illustration but to confront violence and express rage, stating, 'I'm out to confront the violence that is involved ... and get some outlet for my rage.' Works like 'Last View' depict a dead person's perspective from a grave, while 'Boat at Low Tide' features a menacing hull and monstrous figure. 'King Saul Falling on His Sword' shows a suicide act, and 'Four Souls Ascending' presents a nihilistic view of humanity with ragged souls rising into a void. The artist's process involves creating 200 to 300 drawings per theme before making unchangeable ink strokes on board, valuing the medium's struggle and 'brutalizing' nature. Though influenced by sources from prehistoric cave art to Van Gogh, Ben Menahem feels he is on the 'receiving end of the violence in German Expressionist works.' The exhibition, praised for its stark presentation, reawakens emotional purpose in an overly intellectualized art world.