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This talk is about how one artist, who creates art to reflect her personal
view as well as employ her images for publication [i.e. magazines, poster,
books, etc], develops her concepts and creates ideas. It explains, in depth,
the meaning behind each image and identifies the main idea.
The computer is one of the mediums Nessim chooses to use. Traditional mediums such as gouache, watercolor, pastel, oil, acrylic etc. are sometimes employed in combination with computers or as the single medium of choice. If combined it is deftly integrated within the one image. The medium, be it computers or paint on surface, is not the main issue in this presentation but rather a well integrated choice that helps illuminate the end result, the work of art. Inspiration: The Anatomy of an Idea: A Personal View: Creating art for publication has always been a great challenge (for me). It combines two important elements. One being to illuminate another's idea, the second, to bring to this idea your own personal view. A perfect balance must be created within the two spheres. Creating art, where the idea stems solely from one's own interest, forms another kind of balance. One where your subconscious perception mingles with your alert conscious self. To express this I have chosen three examples from my presentation: A cover for Time magazine, an article for Newsweek, and a personal work created in Japan, in conjunction with a solo exhibition of my work. 
Time Cover:
Time presented to me a cover story, an open ended assignment on the ERA. It was in July of 1982 when the Equal Rights Amendment was going up for vote before Congress. The idea was to "do something about the women's movement. It could be historical, it could represent the present, the future, or you may want to reveal your personal experience." A one page text was the only "story copy" available. My choice was to illustrate the present. For almost three decades I have continually kept visual diaries. These diaries are kept in 6"x9" sketchbooks and in a year I complete three or four. The books provide me with the source for my inspiration. I went to my diaries/sketchbooks and chose a few drawings that I thought would be appropriate for this ERA subject. I used these drawings as a base to submit approximately five ideas as sketches. From these sketches, which were presented to an editorial board, one was selected to "work up" into a finish. 
(This process is about the same in each instance when a cover for Time is assigned.)
The meaning of the visual symbols I used in the final printed piece, is simply stated. My main focus, always, is to use the least amount of lines to produce the maximum amount of meaning. Here I focus on the female gender and used the black and white theme to identify women of all color, economic backgrounds and social status. Black and white represents contrasts, rich and poor, upper and lower class, etc. In short, the ERA effects all women. During the two weeks I was doing the sketches, to the time I started working on the finish, the ERA was defeated and the ten year struggle to get it passed was slated to being over again. To exhibit this I created a large stairstep effect and placed the woman at the bottom of the stair. I greatly reduced her stature in relationship to the height of the stair's riser, leading to the utopian blue sky above — her goal. I placed black over white. The black represents the darkness that she is still in. A positive and negative line drawing of a large, thoughtful, sad expressioned, omnipresent, woman's head represents all women and how they are feeling about the ERA not being passed. The hair also mirrors the tears and sweat that went into the ten years of work. The smaller figure is standing on top of a hill [represented by her shoulder], all in red, her dress and hair blowing in the wind, showing her determination to climb the stairs once again. The line of copy, "The Climb to Equality," was written after my art. (Later, a reader wrote to the editor suggesting the title to read "The Climb to Equity" to reflect the unequal financial situation. Newsweek Art: The March 31, 1986 Newsweek story "Feminism's Identity Crisis" was physically approached in much the same way. Three drawings were commissioned. 
Again, there was no "story copy" to illustrate. A long talk with the writer, Eloise Shalholz, helped define the parameters she would later write about. We discussed many issues. Some
of my ideas were incorporated in the written text along with those of other women who worked on the article in San Francisco, Boston, New York and Washington.
The first drawing, on the left, pictures a woman holding an imaginary baby. An empty picture frame sits on the desk and the telephone's handset cord is severed from the main instrument. The background shows an empty room far away symbolizing her home. This picture has many meanings. The woman could be married or divorced and has a child at home or in day care. She worries about, misses, and mentally caresses the child. Or she is yearning to have a child and can't for the myriad of reasons we have become all too familiar with. 
The second piece is about a woman's biological clock. It pictures her holding an "egg" clock. The time has arrived at the eleventh hour. She gazes at a timeless clock, above her, without hands.
On the shelf below is a bowl of eggs representing fertility and the apple pie is home. She is worried, perhaps she may never have the children she so desires.
The last in the trilogy identifies the increasingly hard roles people must assume in marriage. The husband and wife sit, facing each other, nude, on stools, which are different in shape, implying individuality. Both their hands are looped through the wedding band reaching for one goal. Working together, this smaller ring identifies daily struggles. She wears the traditional toe shoes, trying to make the dance of juggling her time between the home and the office, look easy. 
The ribbons, flying in the wind, render the shoes insecure. The giant wedding band which the stools are resting on represents a lifetime of marriage.
A big wheel that turns slowly on the barren soil. Mountains are viewed in the distance, unattainable, or perhaps insurmountable.
Personal Work "Hand Memory": The third, and last example, evolved when I was in Japan for a solo exhibition of my work. This "computer painting" is a personal work. When visiting a foreign country, watching television has always been a fascination for me. Images emerge without the understanding of what's being said. Your fantasy constructs the meaning of the visual. On the screen a man and woman are participating in a talk show. They are holding up to the camera, an open page in The National Geographic. Displayed is a group of rocks. On the rocks are images of hands. 
The hand was used as a stencil to form the image. I think it's a pre-historic cave painting. I study the forms and quickly draw something in my sketchbook, with notes detailing the color.
It starts me thinking about past and present, from cave paintings to computer/digital art. The next day at the Ginza gallery where my show is taking place, I have the opportunity to work on the NEC-PC computer.
I start to draw, still thinking about the hands. I create "Hand Memory."
Stenciled hands over the human form, energy coursing through
the figure, melding with the invisible waves of the wind. The information was digitally transferred to an inkjet printer. The print is 30"x24" and the process is called Jetgraphy, which
was developed by the Fuji Corporation.
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