Wisdom under the Sun

In Wisdom under the Sun, Kopel Gurwin transforms a reflection from the Book of Ecclesiastes into a richly imaginative landscape. Two monumental, stylized trees rise beneath an exuberant sun, their elongated forms dominating a composition that hovers between the natural world and pure abstraction. Rather than depicting a recognizable place, Gurwin creates a symbolic environment in which nature, color, and biblical language coexist.

The sun, rendered in concentric layers of pink, coral, orange, and gold, radiates across the upper portion of the composition. Below it, the contrasting trees stand like expressive figures: one unfolding in shades of blue and lavender, the other rising in olive green and deep teal. Their distinctive silhouettes and intricately patterned leaves create a visual dialogue between organic growth and geometric invention.

Across the landscape, clusters of small, multicolored circles form richly textured fields, while sweeping bands of muted blue, gray, and green suggest the movement of the earth beneath the trees. A passage from Ecclesiastes is incorporated into the composition through Gurwin’s distinctive Hebrew letterforms. Following the contours of the landscape, the inscription becomes part of the work’s visual structure, uniting language and ornament.

The verse from Ecclesiastes 9:13 reflects on wisdom observed “under the sun,” an expression that recurs throughout the biblical book in its contemplation of human experience. Gurwin approaches this philosophical theme through the vitality of nature, giving visual form to an idea that is at once contemplative and exuberant. Through his bold color relationships, imaginative forms, and meticulous layering of hand-cut felt, he transforms an ancient meditation into a distinctly modern poetic image.