Homesh Evacuation #01 / Taken Down
Artist Natan Dvir
Accession number 2007-5
Natan Dvir is an Israeli photographer who focuses on the human aspects of political, social and cultural issues. He photographs globally and specialises in editorial, documentary and commercial photography.
He comments that: “Having been raised in Israel, I was regularly exposed to strong religious, social and political beliefs and ideas from an early age. Holy sites situated throughout Israel make the (physically) small country extremely important for Jews, Christians, Muslims and followers of many other religions. The region's history combined with the volatile political situation today, result in a complex and intense reality in which people emphatically and publicly express themselves.
I am fascinated and sometimes frightened by the extreme situations people reach in the pursuit and defense of their beliefs. I explore the various sides of how people practice their beliefs, the places it brings them to and the scenes in which they take part.”
In relation to ‘Homesh Evacuation #01 / Taken Down’ and the series on Belief of which it is part, he notes that: “The intensity of belief driving people to extreme and sometimes surreal situations is reflected in the confrontations between the Israel security forces and Jewish settlers during the evacuation of Jewish settlements in the West Bank during 2005-6.” In the action of the soldiers lifting down the body of the settler in this image, we see echoes of the deposition in which Christ is lifted down from the cross.
In the motivations of the settlers and the art historical/theological resonances of this image, we see that religious beliefs continue to hold firm value for many of those who seek to create new settlements in Gaza or the West Bank. Through such images, Dvir aims to “promote self-reflection” and to encourage “viewers to contemplate their own beliefs, or the ideals of their communities, and the intensity with which belief affects their actions and their way of life”, as the way belief shapes people’s behaviour and personal interactions “is typically unnoticed by those who are most deeply influenced by it”.
Dvir comments, ‘The works are part of a long term project exploring various sides of Human Belief as it is reflected in scenes of conflict and religious nature. The intensity of belief driving people to extreme and sometimes surreal situations is reflected in the confrontations between the Israel security forces and Jewish settlers during the evacuation of Jewish settlements in the West Bank during 2005-6.' The composition in this photo evokes the traditional iconogrphy of Christ's descent from the cross.
The subtitle 'Taken Down' directs us towards the art historical precedents underpinning the composition, in which the action of the soldiers lifting down the body of the settler echoes the deposition in which Christ is lifted down from the cross.
