STERN GALLERY EXHIBITIONS

The land of the "Tzabar"

Ron Gang lives in the desert and the cactus bushes are an inseparable part of his surroundings. The cactus bush, or "Tzabar", has become a symbolic archetypal theme of the land of Israel and its natives, (known in English as "Sabras") even though it arrived in this area from South America only 200 years ago.
Ron Gang also came to Israel from the continent of America. His unrelenting pursuit of the landscape around him suggests the possibility of assimilation for a stranger wishing to become acclimatized in a new land – just like the "Tzabar".

Gang is a "Plein air" painter. He paints from observation. He follows a tradition that began in the mid 1880's, when oil paint was manufactured in portable tubes.
Artists, who paint outdoors, preserved the tradition throughout the twentieth century until this day.

"Plein air" artists regard observation as a tool that improves ones sight. For Ron Gang, observing the desert has meditative qualities. He assimilates the landscape and sets his impressions free on the canvas, using sensual brush strokes. His colours are rich and deep. He is influenced by impressionist art - especially Van Gogh.
The harsh and unmerciful desert light seems to intensify the cacti and their spiky character.

A taste of summer.