By Suzanne Révy
Many religious rituals are rooted in the circadian passing of days, seasons and years. Judaism is particularly rich in ceremonial markings of time, from the lighting of candles for Shabbat each Friday evening to lesser-known holidays such as “Tu B’shvot,” celebrating the new year for trees in mid-winter, and “Sukkot,” marking the fall harvest. Photographer Hannah Altman reflects on Jewish stories and observances through highly symbolic images in her current solo exhibition, As It Were, Suspended in Midair. On view at the Kniznick Gallery through the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA through June 12th, 2025.
Feature Image: “Telling You” by Hannah Altman from the exhibition As it Were, Suspended in Midair, courtesy of the artist.
“Giving” by Hannah Altman, from the exhibition As It Were, Suspended in Midair, courtesy of the artist.
Sunlight plays a pivotal role in Altman’s photographs. It highlights the hands, hair and eyes of her sitters, but perhaps is expressed most poignantly as a starburst in a small mirror lodged inside her mouth in the self-portrait, Telling You. Her emphasis on the life-giving properties of sunlight is full of contrasts, allowing Altman to probe the cycles of life from birth to marriage to death through different light angles during the day. A broken egg and the detail of a bruise on a pregnant belly speak to the pain of delivery. A trio of images, Backhand I and II and Rouse convey ephemeral and fleeting qualities of life. The shadow of a hand at the root of a tree is mirrored in the gesture of a figure facing away from the camera toward their own shadow. Between each, a supine figure, hair akimbo, resting on a pillow bathed in sunlight accentuates a sense of mortality.
“Backhand II” (left), “Rouse” (center), “Backhand I” (right) by Hannah Altman from the exhibition As It Were, Suspended in Midair. (Installation photograph by Suzanne Révy)
“Yearning” by Hannah Altman, from the exhibition As it Were, Suspended in Midair, courtesy of the artist.
Several images reference Judaic tradition more directly, such as Shofar (To Catch One’s Breath), which depicts a young woman playing the ancient ram’s horn used on Rosh Hosannah and Yom Kippur. Yad (You) shows an elderly woman holding the Torah pointer known as a Yad menacingly at her chin, as if a reminder to stay attentive. Both pictures grasp the tension recognized as the precariousness of Jewish life. Even a serene self-portrait, Weighted, symbolizes often-unseen burdens that are quietly borne, as Altman rests on a chair near an open field with her toes curled awkwardly under her feet.
“Yad (You)” by Hannah Altman from the exhibition As It Were, Suspended in Midair, courtesy of the artist.
“Weighted” by Hannah Altman, from the exhibition As It Were, Suspended in Midair, courtesy of the artist.
Many of Altman’s images and titles refer to tales in the Old Testament. There is a concept in Judaism called “l’dor vador,” the passing on of traditions and stories across generations and throughout the diaspora. By foregrounding the female figure and experience, Altman deftly carries these ancestral stories forward, enriching them by adding a contemporary feminist sensibility. Altman performs a “mitzvah” or good deed by retelling and interpreting Jewish myths through her resplendent photographs. In addition, the exhibition includes illuminating thoughts about specific pictures by Brandeis students. The work in this exhibit will be included in her upcoming book Hannah Altman: We Will Return to You, which is available for pre-order from Saint Lucy Books. An artist talk and book launch are planned for March 20th at 6:30pm
For more information about this exhibit: https://www.brandeis.edu/hbi/artist-program/index.html
To pre-order her book: https://www.saintlucybooks.com/shop/p/we-will-return-to-you
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