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Kobi
Israel doesn't like the term photographer.
"I don't want to sound pretentious,
but I find it uncomfortable to call myself
a "photographer", 'he says
bashfully. 'It sounds too technical to
describe my relationship with the camera.
I use the camera as an extension of my
body and senses like I use my eyes or
hands. When I "photograph", I
feel, I explore, I fantasise, I discover,
I try to understand…"
These must be trying times for our
reluctant 'photographer'. He's only been
in London for three months, but as one of
the city's fastest-rising photographic
talents he already has three exhibitions
under his belt, with a fourth scheduled
for November. 'The Metaphysical City' is
currently running at Maison Bertaux. In
August, there's the AOP 'Open Exhibition'
in Old Street.
Meanwhile, this week sees the publication
of his first book 'Kobi Israel Views',
together with a tie-in exhibition at the
Box.
The images on show at the Covent Garden
gay watering hole aren't representative of
Israel's work (he reckons gay subjects
account for about 20 per cent of his
output), but they're guaranteed to go down
well with the locals .
Pitched somewhere between the homoerotic
aspirations of Herb Ritts and the playful
kitsch of Pierre and Gilles, Israel's
striking shots of sulky fruit-seller and
smouldering Israeli soldiers provide the
perfect backdrop for a night out with the
Box boys.
 And
yet there's also an intimacy to these
photographs, many of which are drawn from
direct personal experience. Born and
raised in Bat-Yam, a small town south of
Tel-Aviv, Israel was 18 when he joined the
army. (Israel is the name he was born with.
Just to confuse matters, 'Kobi' is a
corruption of Jacob, the Biblical name
which also means 'Israel').
Struggling with the realisation that he
was gay, he indulged in regular bouts of
male bonding in the barracks, before
sneaking off at night to satisfy his urges
in known gay cruising areas, terrified in
case someone should spot him.
'Achva', or brotherhood, is one of the
most valued principles of the Israeli army',
he explains, 'And it can border on the
homoerotic.
Israeli men don't flinch at affection like
some men do. Soldiers hug and kiss each
other. "I love you, my brother",
is a normal way of greeting. And sometimes
we might have to share a bed or a shower.
But Achva isn't about sexual orientation,
so the macho, all-male environment of the
army can be at once intimidating and
confusing if you're questioning your
sexuality, as I was'
Israel left the army at 21. He moved in
with his boyfriend, and came out to his
older sister. Three years later, he
finally plucked up the courage to tell his
parents. 'I told my youngest sister, but
she couldn't keep her mouth shut and told
my mother. When I heard that my mother
already knew, I decided to be brave and
tell her myself. I remember how
embarrassed I was at that moment. We were
sitting in a quiet corner in a coffee shop,
and I was trying to get myself to tell
her, and the waiter was giving me the eye
and asking for my phone number.'
The images in 'Kobi Israel Views' and the
accompanying exhibition deal with the
conflicts he experienced growing up and
exploring his sexuality within a
traditional Israeli society. For some of
the photographs, Israel even returned to
Tel Aviv and to scenes of some of his
boyhood encounters in order to recreate
the moment.
But these images are by no means typical
of his work. Most of his time is devoted
to travel photography and urban landscapes.
In fact, Israel's first taste of fame came
when his stunning shot of Charles Bridge
in Prague was short-listed for the Time
Out Travel Photography Award back in 1997.
Just last month, he was the subject of a
two-page feature in our sister publication,
Time Out Tel-Aviv.
Something tells me this isn't the last
well see of him.
'Kobi Israel Views' is published by Bruno
Gmunder at £12.95. A number of reduced
price, signed copies are available from
the Box, where the exhibition continues
until July 31. See places A-Z. .
© Time Out Magazine, Paul Burston, London
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