Yoav Bar El (1933–1977) was an Israeli artist, writer and art dealer. He was born in Tel Aviv and studied in the United States.
Yoav Bar El was born on 28 January 1933 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Aharon ("Aharonchik") Elkind and Shlomit Cohen Tzedek, who arrived in 1924 from Kovno, are Yoav’s parents. His younger sister, Mirana Barel-Blay was born six years after he was. Their mother infused a love of culture, art and literature into Yoav and his sister, Mirana. When he was a young boy, Yoav Bar El learned to play the accordion. When Yoav completed high school, he studied in the aircraft mechanics program of the Air Force.
In 1950, Bar El went to school in America. While he was in America, Bar El attended lectures about music taught by Arnold Schoenberg. When Yoav Bar El completed his military service, he studied composition as well as conducted at the Music Academy. However, Bar El did not pursue these studies.
In the 1960s, after studying art and philosophy, Yoav Bar El began dealing art. During this time, Bar El also began publishing his writing and art criticism in daily newspapers. Yoav Bar El served as the art critic for “Yedioth Ahronoth” (1959–61), Ha’aretz (1959–69), Kol Israel (1964–69) and IDF Radio (1967-71). In addition, he worked on writing scripts for several TV series as well as movies. Bar El organized exhibitions for The “Lookout” and was a member of “+10.”
Bar El's early work was influenced by European abstract art and is characterized by prominent use of the material. Later in his career, Bar El was influenced by the American pop art, and folded his paintings to reproduced images.
Yoav Bar El died in 1977, at the age of 44.
A collection of the artist's work is held at the Information Center for Israeli Art in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Awards and recognition
1959 Participated in Biennale, Paris
1960 Participated in First Biennale of Young Painters, Haifa
Art Critic of Ha’aretz
1954-1956 Avni Institute of Art and Design in Tel Aviv
1964-1968 Tel Aviv University; B.A., Philosophy and psychology
1968-1969 Tel Aviv University; M.A., Clinical psychology
1962–1963 Avni Institute of Art and Design in Tel Aviv
1966 Tel Aviv University
1967–1971 High School for drawing named after Margolsinaski, Tel Aviv
1971–1977 Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa; Three-dimensional design in the Department of Architecture and Town Planning
1965 Seminar for High School Art supervisors, Ministry of Education, Jerusalem, Israel
1966 Semestral seminar on the “Concept of Art“, Tel Aviv University, Israel
1967 Advanced seminar for Art teachers, Ministry of Education, Tel Aviv, Israel
1970 Seminar on “Concept of Art“ for kibbutz artists, Petakh Tikva, Israel
1958 Gallery Chemerinsky, Tel Aviv, Israel
1960 Gallery Chemerinsky, Tel Aviv, Israel
1969 Gordon gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
1981 Shinar gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
1987 “Joav BarEl“, Kalisher 5 gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
2004 “Joav BarEl“, curated by Irith Hadar, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel
2012 “Pop Works“, Tempo Rubato, Tel Aviv, Israel
2014 Joav BarEl, Frieze New York, Frame section, NY, USA
Center of the World, Tempo Rubato, Tel Aviv
1957 “Ha Yeled“, Zuta Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
1958 “The Art of Tomorrow“, Haifa Museum of Art, Israel
1959 “Young Artists“, Artists’ Association, Tel Aviv, Israel
First Paris Biennial – representing Israel, Paris, France
1960 “First Biennial of Young Artists“, Haifa Museum of Art, Israel
1961 “Spring exhibition“, Rina Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel
“Fall exhibition“, Rina Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel
Yehudit gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
1964 “Five Artists“, Rina Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel
“Contemporary Art“, Beit Katz, Acre, Israel
1965 “Fall exhibition“, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel
“Five Young Artists“, Hanegev Museum, Beer Sheva, Israel
“Fall exhibition“, Mala-Kahana gallery, Tel Aviv Israel
1966 “Fall exhibition“, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel
“The Flower“ with the 10+ collective, Massada gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
1967 “In Red“ with the 10+ collective, Katz gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
“Nude“ with the 10+ collective, Gordon gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
1968 “Summer exhibition“, Gordon gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
“Fall exhibition“, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel
1969 “Stop, Green“, Artists’ Pavilion, Jerusalem, Israel
1970 “Five Rooms“, Artists’ Pavilion, Jerusalem, Israel
A selection of Israeli Art, Gan Haaem, Haifa, Israel
1971 Opening exhibition of the permanent collection, Tel Aviv Museum of Art
1972 “Conceptual Art“, Artists’Association, Alharizi Pavilion, Tel Aviv, Israel
1997 “Drawings After Kafka“, with texts by Ami Steinitz, Yoram Bronowski, Gavriel Moked, Published
by Mirana BarEl-Blay and Ami Blay, ISBN 965-222-759-5
2004 “Joav BarEl“, exhibition catalogue, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel, with texts by Mordechai
Omer, Gabriel Moked, Irith Hadar, Joav BarEl, Adam Tennenbaum, and a conversation between Rafi Lavie and Yona Fischer. ISBN 965-7161-16-9
2004 ”Between Sobriety and Innocence – on Plastic Arts in the 1960’s in Tel Aviv”, a collection of
critical essays by Joav BaEl, ISBN 965-7161-18-5
