Alex Levac
Encyclopedia
Alex Levac is an Israeli photojournalist and street
photographer. He won the Israel Prize
for photography in 2005.
in 1944. After graduating in philosophy
and psychology
from Tel Aviv University
and in photography from the London College of Printing, he began worked as a freelance photographer in Brazil
from 1971 to 1974.
In 1974-79, he worked in London and later in Los Angeles
(1979–81).
In 1981, he returned to Israel and settled in Jerusalem.
In 1983, he became staff photographer for the daily "Hadashot
" and since 1993 he is staff photographer for the Israeli daily "Ha'aretz".
In 1984, a photograph he took during the hi-jacking of a Tel Aviv bus disproved the official account of events and led to a long running scandal known as the Kav 300 affair
.
Levac has participated in a number of exhibitions, among them Amazon Indians, held at the University of California
, Berkeley; the Ein Harod
Israeli Biennale of Photography; and the Israel Museum
in Jerusalem.
He published five books.
journalist Sherry Ansky and they have one child.
Street photography
Street photography is a type of documentary photography that features subjects in candid situations within public places such as streets, parks, beaches, malls, political conventions and other settings....
photographer. He won the Israel Prize
Israel Prize
The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
for photography in 2005.
Biography
Alex Levac was born in Tel AvivTel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
in 1944. After graduating in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
from Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
and in photography from the London College of Printing, he began worked as a freelance photographer in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
from 1971 to 1974.
In 1974-79, he worked in London and later in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
(1979–81).
In 1981, he returned to Israel and settled in Jerusalem.
In 1983, he became staff photographer for the daily "Hadashot
Hadashot
Hadashot was a Hebrew-language daily newspaper published in Israel between 1984 and 1993.-History:On 4 March 1984 Haaretz Group CEO Amos Schocken announced that a new daily newspaper, Hadashot was to be launched, with Yossi Klein as editor...
" and since 1993 he is staff photographer for the Israeli daily "Ha'aretz".
In 1984, a photograph he took during the hi-jacking of a Tel Aviv bus disproved the official account of events and led to a long running scandal known as the Kav 300 affair
Kav 300 affair
The Bus 300 affair , also known as Kav 300 affair, was an affair in which Shin Bet members executed two Palestinian bus hijackers, immediately after the hostage crises incident ended and the two militants were captured....
.
Levac has participated in a number of exhibitions, among them Amazon Indians, held at the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
, Berkeley; the Ein Harod
Ein Harod
Ein Harod was a kibbutz in Israel. It was located in northern Israel near Mount Gilboa. It is notable for being built near the battlefield of Ayn Jalut , a battle of huge macro-historical importance where the Mongols were defeated for the first time, in 1260.-History:The kibbutz was founded by...
Israeli Biennale of Photography; and the Israel Museum
Israel Museum
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem was founded in 1965 as Israel's national museum. It is situated on a hill in the Givat Ram neighborhood of Jerusalem, near the Bible Lands Museum, the Knesset, the Israeli Supreme Court, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem....
in Jerusalem.
He published five books.
Awards
- In 1993, Levac received the Rita Poretzky Award of Photography from the Tel Aviv Museum of ArtTel Aviv Museum of ArtThe Tel Aviv Museum of Art is an art museum in Tel Aviv, Israel. It was established in 1932 in a building that was the home of Tel Aviv's first mayor, Meir Dizengoff. The Helena Rubinstein Pavilion for Contemporary Art opened in 1959. The museum moved to its current location on King Saul Avenue in...
.
- In 2001, the Israeli Foreign Ministry chose Levac to represent Israel in the international exhibit "Our Country".
- In 2005, he won the Israel PrizeIsrael PrizeThe Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
, for photography. The judges who chose to award the prize emphasized the humanitarian perspective of his work. "No other photographer is as involved as Alex Levac in the Israeli experience," they wrote. He said,
Quotes
"I don't take a lot of pictures. I see things as though through a sieve. The choice of a specific moment is mine. I enjoy photography. It forces me to look at marginal things as well. There are wonderful situations where the photographic potential is enormous, and pictures truly leap to the eye, but most pictures are obtained by hard and patient work. I would like all my pictures to be great, full of historical, social, and anthropological meaning, but very few reach that level. Many times the result is simply anecdotal, visual amusements, the justaposition of bits of reality that usually are not connected to one another. Some are complex, others are simple, but they always tell something about us."
Family
Levac is married to Ma'arivMaariv
Maariv is a Hebrew language daily newspaper published in Israel. It is second in sales after Yedioth Ahronoth and third in readership after Yedioth Ahronoth and Israel HaYom. In a TGI survey comparing the last half of 2009 with the same period in 2008, Maariv saw its market share fall slightly...
journalist Sherry Ansky and they have one child.
Books
- Eye to Zion, edited by David TartakoverDavid TartakoverDavid Tartakover is an Israeli graphic designer, political activist, artist and design educator.He studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem, and is a graduate of the London College of Printing...
, published by Am OvedAm Oved-History:Am Oved was founded in 1942 by Berl Katznelson, who was its first Editor in Chief.It was created as an organ of the Histadrut, Israel's federation of Labor, with a goal of publishing books that would "meet the spiritual needs of the working public." Its most well-known series is "Sifriyah...
, 1994. - Tel Aviv Serenade, with poems by Nathan AltermanNathan AltermanNathan Alterman was an Israeli poet, playwright, journalist, and translator who – though never holding any elected office – was highly influential in Socialist Zionist politics, both before and after the establishment of the State of Israel.-Biography:...
, Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 2000. - Our country, Introduction: Daniel Ben-Simon, published by the Ministry of Defense, 2000.
- Like a dog, edited by David TartakoverDavid TartakoverDavid Tartakover is an Israeli graphic designer, political activist, artist and design educator.He studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem, and is a graduate of the London College of Printing...
, Keter Publishing, 2005. - Israel: the twenty-first century, Carmel Press, 2008.