by Sherry Kim

Re-trato de Familia brings together the lives of Hannah, Mario, Igal and Jaime — three generations that connect mother to son to grandsons — spanning the bridges of time and space. It all began …

In 2001 a diary was discovered in Israel. It belonged to Hannah (Annie) Listwa Lippmann, who died four years ago. The diary was translated from German to Spanish by her daughter Ruth. Born in Poland near the German border, Annie was 17 when she and her family fled persecution in Europe during the lull between two world wars. As a teenager, she recorded this journey in her diary and with her camera. Arriving by boat in Guatemala in 1927 she wrote, “Today my dream came true. Papa was waiting for us here. I saw him happy and healthy. When I saw him at the dock my legs were shaking. I hugged him. And later, after a long time, I found my peace once again.”

Annie’s son, Mario Permuth, is a talented lawyer and gifted photographer. He served a significant role in Guatemala’s peace process for over 10 years, and his efforts were rewarded with the highest national honor, Orden del Quetzal, en Grado de: “Gran Cruz,” in December 2002. The Guatemalan president also officially recognized Permuth as a Notable Citizen (1989) and as an Itinerant Ambassador of Guatemala, granting him a diplomatic passport for life (1992). Permuth has patented his photo-graphic technique, “symmetric revelation,” which finds inspiration in organic materials such as wooden doors, painted walls or tree trunks. He captures what appears to be half of a figure or face within the material, and then creates the mirror image to reveal a complete, symmetrical object. His photography has earned acclaim in Israel, Germany, Guatemala, Mexico and the United States.

Only 4 years old when he picked up his first camera, Igal Permuth followed his father’s footsteps by becoming both a lawyer and an artist. His artistic inspiration often comes from trains and wagons. He is drawn to their symbolic representation of the movement of time and space and immigration. He uses black and white film, and after developing the photos, he paints them with vibrant colors. Igal’s unique photography has been exhibited in Mexico, Miami, Moscow and Guatemala.

Last year Igal was one of the 12 honored artists in Guatemala chosen by the Israeli Embassy to participate in a cultural exchange and inspirational trip to Israel for two weeks. In 2002, he began a television show called “El Vagon,” which promotes local artists who work in ceramics, paint, sculpture and photography. His art program also highlights music and theater and airs Fridays at 9:30 p.m. on Guatevision.

Jaime Permuth, the eldest son, has been a successful artist in New York City for the past 12 years. He confides, “I fell in love with photography at the age of 10, and fully embraced its impossible promise: to manage the world within a simple frame.” His creations explore the lives of diverse communities and range from public art to documentary photography. Jaime enjoyed teaching and developing the curriculum for “Re-Visions of El Barrio,” a three-month workshop for high school students in East Harlem’s Heritage School. He also taught as an adjunct professor in the art and photography departments at State University of New York, New School University and Kean University.

Jaime’s latest project, Archive for an Imaginary City, presents an alternative to the traditional means of recording history. He juxtaposes an old photo and a quote from a literary source, utilizing photographic images to meet with lyrical truth from historical elements. Jaime describes this method as reuniting historical figures together for the conversation they never had. He explains, “The process of making art is a way of being in the world and taking responsibility for the world. Artists explore their personal identities through creation, and every aesthetic decision helps define their particular conception of morality … I engage in community-based projects that are rooted in my deepest personal concerns. Over the past decade, I have devoted my practice to exploring my dual cultural heritage: being Jewish and Latin American.” •

Sat., 29th-6:30pm—Re-trato de Familia, photographic exhibition with work by Mario, Jaime and Igal Permuth honoring the memory of Hannah (Annie) Listwa Lippmann at Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (Compañía de Jesús-3a Calle & 6a Av. Norte), La Antigua.