After surviving two assassination attempts, artist takes a breath
MUTUAL ART... Artist and environmental activist Emilio Mogilner fully appreciates the transience of life -- especially with regards to his own mortality. The innovative painter and sculptor has survived two assassination attempts, the second of which left his dominant right hand paralyzed, putting his artistic career and lifelong passion in jeopardy. Despite these setbacks, Mogilner has persevered. In addition to sculpting massive installations, the artist continues to paint -- without air. Using his left hand, Mogilner paints while holding his breath -- a unique technique he developed which, as he explains, allows him to capture "the urgency and lack of time [mankind has] to address crucial social & environmental challenges." A glimpse into his life offers some remarkable insights into an artist's creative development.
The 45-year-old Israeli artist presented his first major solo exhibition in 1992. During the onset of his career, he mainly painted female nudes, with various postures in strange positions. "I drew many self portraits, and women deformed of body or deforming women. Sometimes I wasn't even interested in what I was painting, only in the textures," he says.
