Viktoria Wagner
Baruch Spinoza and the Golem of Amsterdam
Emil Fuer’s amusing paintings have a highly individual way of presenting an association of
ideas. In his pictures, well-known motifs and figures appear in an unusual form, often
reinterpreted in bizarre associations and combined with curious elements. Angels dressed in
red with black hair and black wings or wearing a hat and Hasidic garb; grim and nasty-
looking hares; devils with enormous twisted horns – or adorned with peacock feathers. He
represents the elements of reality, especially paradox situations, mixed together with mythical
and surreal creatures, embedded in a unique symbolism. In this complex system the paintings
reflect upon one another, and are to be interpreted as closely-connected elements of a serial
story.
The paintings are inspired, among others, by well-known literary works, stories, legends and
often famous film stars, celebrities or mythical figures. For example, Houdini the legendary
escape artist, or Bela Lugosi, the first to impersonate Dracula on the silver screen. You also
have the anthropomorphic Mr. Rabbit from Lewis Carroll’s Alice story. Alice’s story is an
important point of reference in other respects, too. The surreal underworld of the stories
created by Lewis Carroll, the bizarre and grotesque adventures and characters, the mystery
and hidden meaning so typical of his fiction appear in every detail of the paintings. Alice,
Houdini and Lugosi end up in the same place, as if they were characters in the same story.
They are projected onto each other like holographs and always carry some meaning,
regardless of what angle they are viewed from.
The connection between the pictures and the various sources is maintained by a ubiquitous
irony and grotesqueness which is present in all his figures and situations. We could hardly
imagine a more grotesque or bizarre scene than Houdini and Dracula-impersonator Bela
Lugosi sitting face to face, jovially having breakfast. A mobile phone is lying on the table
between them – by way of explanation as to how the meeting came about.
Every painting, in one form or another, contains a disguise. The message and essence of the
images lie hidden within the finest details and nuances. The picture as a whole is assembled
from a myriad of carefully selected details, from a synthesis of forms and colours, and from
the movements and expressions of the figures. Emil expresses human characteristics,
attitudes, and moods by the means of irony and grotesque humour. Hidden behind the bright
colours and the gaiety of the clearly arranged compositions there lie a profound message and
thought-provoking content. In the eyes of the seemingly innocent and sometimes clumsy
figures one can discover mature wisdom and self-confident, critical individuality.
Another, inseparable aspect of the interpretation of the pictures is the Jewish cultural and
religious context which is ever-present in one way or other in his figures and scenes,
sometimes in very subtle and sometimes in more obvious ways, mostly with concealed self-
irony and sarcasm. These two concepts are connected to the Jewish culture in a way, built into
the way of life, the everyday, helping to overcome obstacles and imparting wisdom.
Baruch Spinoza and the Golem of Amsterdam
The title Baruch Spinoza and the Golem of Amsterdam suggests a paradoxical mind game and
opportunities for intricate interpretation. After all, what can Spinoza have to do with the
legendary Golem, which came alive in Prague?
In the association process many references can be highlighted as sources of inspiration. It is
an encounter of literature and folklore, philosophy and kabbalistic mysticism. With a twist of
associations, Emil relocates the Golem’s well-known legend into Amsterdam, reinterpreting
and enriching it with further meanings.
The Golem is a story of shaping and creation by matter and spirit – and may be interpreted as
an allegory of artistic creativity. Shaped out of mud and clay, the Golem was brought to life
through a mysterious ritual and was invested with power. In most Golem stories, the creature
is empowered by God’s name. There is also evidence that creating a Golem was primarily not
a physical procedure, but rather, a highly advanced meditative technique.
Whoever creates, or is able to paint pictures and shape sculptures has power and can bring
together Life and Death. The Golem would be deactivated by erasing the aleph (א) of emet,
the word that has brought him to life, to form the word met (מת, "dead"). The accuracy of
spelling is of crucial importance, and so is each brush-stroke in the painting. That is where the
secret and the mysticism lie. In the visual image of a work of art the mystical Power of Life
itself is present. The same Power that could even bring the Golem to life. The artist, who has
matter and spirit concentrated in his hands, projecting these powers into his paintings, also
creates Golems.
In a bold move, Emil links the Golem’s figure with that of Jewish philosopher Baruch
Spinoza, a native of Amsterdam – thus establishing a connection with the city itself. He
initiates a conceptual guessing game in his pictures, where the familiar elements are
interchangeable and acquire new meanings.
In Emil’s understanding, the relationship between Spinoza and the Golem has several
variations. Depending on the order in which he presents the characters and elements of his
mind-game – the Golem, Spinoza, Amsterdam, Jewish culture, the wandering soul, a dibbuk –
a different story comes to life each time. He virtually distorts the ideas and then kneads them
together again, seasoned with ironical-cynical humour. If indeed it may be called humour,
since sorrow and bitter-sweetness are a constant undercurrent in his pictures. The radiance
and brightness of the yellow and white colours is deceptive at first glance, possessing a
charming power and creating an illusion of cheerfulness. However, it later becomes obvious
that the radiant power of the pictures actually comes from the underlying intellectual content.
In Emil’s interpretation, Spinoza with his creation philosophy can be integrated into one
unified system with the Golem. Spinoza had researched the essence of spirit and matter, and
had been in search of the nature of substance. As a Jewish philosopher, he had artfully turned
around the conventional procedure and had answered a question with another, or sought
questions for existing answers rather than accepting what was available. This way of thinking
may seem devilishly twisted and complicated but free ideas can be born in exactly the same
way. Imagination and spirit can become active precisely by constantly asking questions: ‘Why
not?’ And the Jewish culture answers a question with another: is it truly so? Since everything
is in doubt, it generates questions, and those questions bring us forward, by provoking new
thoughts.
The Golem himself could have answered Spinoza’s questions. The Golem, as a medium, is
endowed with miraculous qualities and power, and heralds God’s omnipotence. Why could
not he have been there by Spinoza’s side when he created his remarkable and revolutionary
works? After all, if we can believe the stories – and why shouldn’t we – the Golem of Prague
was not destroyed as we had read or heard it, but survived and 100 years later reappeared in
Amsterdam. What’s more, it moved into Spinoza’s house who started having increasingly
bold ideas and declarations, until eventually the Jewish community leaders issued a cherem –
excommunication against him, effectively dismissing him from Jewish society. That is how
Spinoza become an individualist, a genius who always felt an outsider. The Flying Dutchman,
between the Golem and the dibbuk; a spirit appearing by the side of one or the other... Just as
the artist himself is hiding between the Golem and the dibbuk, among the angels and other
odd creatures created by him...
It might even be possible that Spinoza himself had brought to life the Golem in his works and
in his philosophical system. He certainly had the necessary self-confidence and intellectual
basis as his thought was way above the general standards of his age.
And if all this should not be devilish and complicated enough, consider the fact that Spinoza
died exactly 333 years ago in the Hague – at the location of this exhibition...
If you do not believe it go and see for yourself!
This is the sequence of thoughts whereby Emil combines into a whole Spinoza, the Golem,
devils and other creatures with Jewish culture. His paintings are visual representations of
paradoxical conceptual games, where past and present, legend and reality come together. He
avoids using archaic and other conventional stereotypes; everything appears encased into an
individual symbolic system – like a reflection in a mirror. In this colourful and complex visual
world, there appear some central themes of modern life as well, and thus his images
continuously reflect on the present. In his paintings, the strands all come together and the
meaning emerges in a single pause of a moment or in the movements of the figures. However,
the drifting dynamism of his compositions captures the attention for a short while only, since
in the next moment the narrative is moved forward by our own thoughts. This bold
association game and story can always be continued as creative fantasy weaves it on. The key
to the game is the role-plays of the familiar and yet unusual characters, which guide us
towards the essence which cannot be grasped, only personally experienced. Only through the
inside, as a personal impression. I hope all our visitors will share this exciting personal
experience.
Viktoria Wagner art historian
London- Den Haag, 2010
“Baruch Spinoza and the Golem of Amsterdam”, Katalogue , 2010.
