When is the Visible Invisible? Answer: when confronted with a visual question by Samuel Bak.
Another leap into the world of magic. The Magician has their face covered in a blood red cloth. Has he already been decapitated? The death mask is offered by the hand of the Magician showing French cufflinks and elegant sleeves.
The magic wand with ribbon attached brings the scene to life or death.
The formal starched shirt seems to complete the Visible part of the invisible. Is the mask a portrait of the Magician? What magic is being performed?
Do we sense a sinister experience happening as we are bystanders? Do we have a responsibility to intervene?
We are left with questions.
Bernard H. Pucker, BAK a Day, May 12, 2023
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The wonders of the artist's world of enigmatic images. And then the title applied once the painting is complete: Visible Invisibility. The unasked question. The unanswered question.
How to decipher this haunting image. The head of the Magician is covered with a blood red cloth hiding the identity of the wonder worker. His hand holds the death mask or the replica of the unseen face of the Magician.
The formal shirt is neatly folded and awaits the tie as well as the body of the figure.
The right hand hold the rod which has a blood red ribbon that guides our eyes across the entire image.
Questions abound? Was this figure ever really alive? Why a Magician? Is he a performer is he being performed on or with? Why blood red? Life or death. Magic and mystery? Can we make sense of this image? How does it relate to our day to day life? Is it a performance? Is he the sole performer or are we participants?
Bernard H. Pucker, BAK a Day, February 26, 2023
Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History (Samuel Bak Museum)
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