Raïssa Venables, Sukkah, 2020
Archival pigment print, 75x61" & 37x30", Edition of 5
Sukkah is a photographic artwork by Raïssa Venables, which also utilizes the textile based installation art of Rachel Hayes. The two artists, who met at the Kansas City Art Institute, collaborated in building a sukkah, adapting material from an installation Hayes originally made for the Bloomberg Tower in New York City. Through Venables’ photographic collage process, she transforms the sewn fabric panels into a rhythmic dance of color and spatial illusions.
A sukkah is traditionally a hut for people who spent days in the fields busily harvesting the bounty before winter. In Jewish tradition it has turned into the main symbol and dwelling place for the week-long holiday of Sukkot, The Harvest Festival. The naturally made structure must have at least three sides and have a roof made out of natural materials, such as branches, with enough openings to allow the stars to be seen at night. The holiday brings simplicity into one’s life and reminds us to look beyond modern materialism to our connection with the land.
