Art doesn't speak for itself

In our faux Zen art world, the journey is as important as the destination.

And though this duality may be an important recognition for the artist, it can leave the viewer hanging.

To see Josh Goldberg's Territories of Grace: Post-Holocaust Kabbalist Works , showing through Aug. 14 at the University of Arizona's Joseph Gross Gallery, is to see a study in product and process on equal ground.

Kabbalah is part of the mythology of Judaism that really came of age in 13th century Spain, after the Jews were expelled and wondered, "How could this happen?" Goldberg said.

Kabbalist practice includes things like automatic writing and speech theory, Goldberg said. He said the tradition looks at speech because of the belief that God created the world by speaking.

The myth says, essentially, that God has two halves - a male and a female - and that the male part withdrew from earth after forming it and the female, Shekina was left to roam the chaotic world in mourning.

This background for the works is printed and placed at the entrance to the Gallery. Many of the 15 pieces in the show are explained beyond their titles in extended, almost poetic paragraphs. These are important words to Goldberg's show.

Goldberg thought they were important enough to be necessary.

The piece, "The Breaking of the Vessels (Shevirah Ha-Kalim)," is four large pieces of paper painted with white circles that fade from one page to the next as a white film covers them. It is important that in the original artists note, the sphere is described as a symbol of order in Kabbalism. The paragraph near the work itself states that what we are seeing is an "ontological shudder" where the "divine scheme is destroyed."

Goldberg's message is quite simple, the spheres in the work are damaged and the smear of chaos travels over the piece.

Another work "Speech Grille" is a painting in black and white, of lines and stormy brush strokes. Goldberg's explanation states "Each swipe is the sound of wings. embryo souls may take flight."

Truly, if you desire, you can see what Goldberg is writing about. Consistently through his paintings, if you keep in mind the artist's note and any explanation printed for the work, you can see the creation.

In the painting "Shekina", one can see the storm-colored yet peaceful setting with its cliche stamped-on clouds destroyed by a maelstrom of black. A tornado wandering like the goddess herself.

Goldberg reiterates his inspiration for the collection and this becomes the chief problem with the show. The artist's notes and explanations are placed as if they were simply there for your information. But from the title of the show on down, they are integral to the presentation. Still printed on the white cards with title and material, they are not so secondary.

Goldberg does not give his works the chance to rise and fall on their own, to tap into the viewers life and for the viewer to tap into the work. He shows us what he made and spends as much time telling us what made him make.