A Cultural Anomaly: Hasids@Harrods?

Waking up this morning, a thought floated past: how would one define consciousness? Is it a continuous series of ‘snapshots’, so to speak, strung together in our minds to form an infinitesimal portion of the big picture? And might that portions’ relationship to the greater reality only be understood in retrospect? Maybe. Maybe not. Perhaps, to prevent short-circuiting, we’re not meant to be conscious of consciousness, but before I get lost on this existential tangent, I want to share a drawing that was completed last night; a ‘snapshot’ that may have prompted those thoughts…

One rainy afternoon in 2002 at Harrods, I sketched a quick impression in my journal of these two men in black. Their incongruous presence in London’s poshest department store was a stark contrast to the colorful array of culinary delights for which Harrods great food hall is world renowned. Upon further reflection, this sighting revealed another level of strangeness. It seemed that by some trompe l’oeil, they had been transported through time from a cobblestone street in 17th century Poland to our era of consumer opulence and gastronomic bounty. Taking in their stuffed shopping totes, I wondered if they were still committed to their ascetic culture as they searched for a way out? And where were their wives? Questions, questions; but what fun would life be without mysteries like this?

Tags: Food Hall, Harrods, Hasidic Jews, Hasids, Jewish Art, London, philosophy