Trees are beautiful. So we’ve learned, and so we know.

The eye quickly learns how to observe. It gets used to quickly glancing, and immediately knowing, what’s worth observing and what can be passed over.

The goal of this exhibit was to help our eyes to observe a bit differently: Not to close our eyes to the items that we “naturally”, and through learning, “know” that they’re not worth focused observation, and instead to open our eyes to an additional group of items that also invite, perhaps even surprisingly, an aesthetic and emotional experience. It’s to these items, often random or incidental, that this exhibit is devoted.

These incidental objects may not have the same internal logic as those created by nature or by an artistic, purposeful, hand. They’re created by chance, and often the reactions they elicit in the observer are simply disregarded.

The items exhibited are items that can be observed or collected during any walk around the kibbutz. Some show subtle design than can lead us to little more than reserved appreciation. Others can elicit a strong emotional response. All have an element of surprise: these are well-known and easily recognized objects that ordinarily don’t merit “artistic” observation.

Framing activates our aesthetic sense. It creates art. The items exhibited here, if seen without framing, or not in a gallery exhibit, seem to have no intrinsic value. They don’t elicit aesthetic appreciation because they haven’t been put in that light. Framing, however, without making any change to the objects themselves, defines them as worthy of artistic observation. It makes them into art objects.

The items exhibited here are “originals”. They haven’t undergone any purposeful change or improvement. Most of them are the result of nature’s “work” upon them, or the “aid” of unpurposeful human intervention. Their present form shows the work of the weather, of time, of children’s feet, a passing tractor, a dripping pipe, and more. But time does its work and the result is a wide variety of artistic expression waiting for the receptive eye to observe them.


Inside the gallery are items that could be brought in. In addition, there are photographs of items that can’t be moved but still belong in an exhibit such as this. The location of each of these objects is displayed next to each photograph. It’s recommended to view them in their “natural” environment and to see them in their full size.

The items displayed in this exhibit are only a handful of others observable around the kibbutz. The choice of those exhibited over others was subjective, but their proximity to the gallery was also a factor. Members are invited to find other items on their own walks – items that awaken in them artistic emotions, and to frame them. In that way they can continue to contribute to this exhibit.