Randy Burman

Beginning in June 2010, I participated in Next@19th Artists’ Table: Artists Respond to Jewish Text program which involved a cohort of Miami-based artists in a variety of media gathering weekly over three months to explore and interpret the Biblical text, Song of Songs. The individual participants, myself included, manifested their responses in the creation of their own new work and share through an artist-centered peer-response process and showcased at the end of the period.

Making these 20 watercolor sketches was my process of exploration. The Song of Songs is a curious blend of spirituality and eroticism and posed a worthy creative challenge. I began by reading the first 20 of 31 poems, “sketch-searching” as I was reading and seizing upon a poignant phrase or concept in each poem which lent itself to be graphically interpreted.

Can’t wait to return to this project to read the remaining 11 poems and to progress these initial concepts to a more final form. I’ve considered making large watercolors, lithographic prints, textile prints and even ceramics.