Samuel Bak's studies provide the viewer with insight into the development of Bak's ideas, as he creates them after the completion of larger paintings of the same subject matter. The composition in "Study for Above" is dominated by fractured stone and a long, yellowed scroll which weaves through the cracks. The scroll trails off the page towards the sky; it is unclear what the source is. Although the scroll contains the promise of knowledge, the parchment appears to be blank.
The fractured stone structure defies gravity, as it floats just above the ground. On the right side of the composition a piece of stone floats away from the rest of the formation. How can these fragments be pieced back together? In many of Bak's paintings stone serves as a record of history. What does it mean for humanity when the record of history is broken and disjointed?
In many paintings in Bak's "From Generation to Generation" series, Jewish sages search for truth and reckon with tradition as it relates to the present day. In this image, the figure in the foreground seeks truth by investigating the scroll, while the smaller figure in the background faces the opposite direction and instead reaches towards the sky. Can divine forces "from above" provide answers?
Lilly Harvey (Guest writer)
BAK a Day, February 23, 2024
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