Thanks to imported influences and the efforts of a younger generation of highly educated artists, the gap was filled in record time. It was at that time that photography freed itself from the ties of the past and leaped forward into modernity, reaching a level equal to the highest contemporary international standards, maturing into an autonomous form of expression which has developed recognizable national characteristics. Israel is essentially an immigrant society to which cultural and artistic streams have converged from all over the world in the past century. After a hundred years of tumultuous existence and almost fifty years of independence as a state, this multifaceted society is still in conflict with itself, its identity, and its self image. This condition necessarily leaves a deep mark on the local artistic creation.
Works of art are almost always a matter of culture.
Art in general, and photography in particular, are the reflections of current concerns and preoccupations. In every country, language, and culture, there are certain specific characteristics that render the local artistic creation distinct. Israeli photography too is different, and in a sense, unique, as the sensibilities and the concerns of local artists differ greatly from other countries. Consequent to both physical and cultural distance, Israeli art in general is peripheral, and operates on the rim of the international scene. As a result, it is in a state of constant dialogue, frequently in tension, and at times in conflict with universal trends, in an attempt to become part of the mainstream.