About the Print
From the Artist
Philadelphia is the center of the art world.
Art is the center of the real world.
Isaiah Zagar created this self-portrait in 1986. As with his mosaics, he decorated this energetic print with vibrant colors and lively patterns. Turquoise and green horizontal stripes, layered with red flowers and leaves, create a playful background. Bold red lines follow the contours of his bright yellow hair, eyes, nose, mouth, and beard. Look closely to find people, leaves, branches, flowers, hands, and even a coffee cup embedded within the picture. Zagar also included stamp-like text, such as “Art is the center of the real world” and “Philadelphia is the center of the art world,” convictions that he has stated in his work for decades. These colors, patterns, images, and ideas become a part of Zagar’s face, hinting about the artist’s thoughts on identity and how he sees himself.
—From https://www.philamuseum.org/doc_downloads/education/object_resources/307095.pdf
Let's Look
- Describe the colors, lines, and patterns in this print.
- What objects, figures, words, and phrases can you find?
- Isaiah Zagar is best known for his colorful public mosaics. How is the is image like a mosaic?
- What do you think he wanted to tell us about himself in this selfportrait? What does he say about the role of art in the world?
- What words or phrases would you include in your self-portrait?
Isaiah Zagar
American
Born Philadelphia, 1939
Photograph by Emily Smith
About the Artist
Mosaic artist and muralist Isaiah Zagar was born in Philadelphia. He earned a BFA from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY.
Zagar has had solo exhibitions at the Hinckley Pottery Gallery, Washington, DC; Kornblee Gallery, New York City; and Painted Bride Art Center and Works Gallery, Philadelphia. His work has been included in group exhibitions at the Contemporary Gallery, New York City; Art Center, Lima, Peru; Rodger LaPelle Galleries, Philadelphia; Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media, PA; and Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson.
Zagar received a National Endowment for the Arts grant. He lives and works in Philadelphia, where the artist and his wife, Julia, built the Magic Gardens, a nonprofit public art park and indoor mosaic installation that attracts visitors from all over the world.
—From Brandywine Workshop and Archives records
Curriculum Connections
Suggested Topics for Art Projects, Group Discussion, and Independent Writing
Art
Create a Personal Stamp
In his self-portrait, Isaiah Zagar included oval, circular, and rectangular images that look like the stamps in an international traveler's passport, perhaps as a reference to his worldly travels. Create a design for your personal decal, logo, or stamp. What text or symbol will represent you best? As an extension, create a print from your drawing.
Create a Self Portrait
Use symbols and text as well as photographs and pictures from magazines to tell your story. Incorporate a variety of shapes, colors, and textures. Execute your self-portrait in a realistic fashion using standard proportions or more abstractly as Zagar did in his portrait.
Language Arts
Persuasive Letter
Zagar has created murals all over Philadelphia. Write a persuasive letter advocating that a new mural be commissioned in your neighborhood. Cite important features about your neighborhood that should be publicly celebrated.
In Your Opinion
Think about Zagar's quote about his art. In your opinion, does Isaiah reflect the spirit of his words? How? If not, why not?
Social Studies
Develop a Plan
Working with fellow students, make a plan to select a site at your school where more student artwork could be exhibited. Ask for input from the faculty, staff, and parents. Strategize how to go about planning such an undertaking and how to evaluate its feasibility.