Israeli artists Oded Balilty and Tal Shochat provide contrasting yet complementary metaphors for the spirit of their native country: the prickly pear and the fruit tree.  The artists also present contrasting visions: one is a pragmatist and the other a dreamer.

Balilty’s black-and-white Sabra Traces series examines the tenacious, thorny cactus Opuntia ficus-Indica, known as “sabra” in Hebrew. It is a fixture of the Israeli landscape, growing wild; surviving in difficult, arid conditions; and once established, difficult to remove. Balilty presents a gritty, realistic portrait of Israel, thorns and all.

Shochat applies the idealizing techniques of studio portraiture and fashion photography to images of trees. The resulting colorful, beautiful images of nature carry a subtext about Israel, where agriculture, and especially growing trees and fruit, have played a critical part in the country’s history, economy, and culture.