Aharon April’s artistic journey was deeply rooted in a rigorous academic foundation, honed during his extensive training in Russia, particularly at the prestigious Surikov Art Academy in Moscow. He consistently emphasized that this long and demanding education, which involved years of dedicated painting and drawing, was absolutely essential.
For April, skill was foundational to art, and drawing was an incredibly important element in studying both art and ancient history. This belief underscores that while his later work became celebrated for its expressive color and often dissolving forms, it was always built upon a solid understanding of structure and composition.
Evidence of his profound engagement with drawing can be seen throughout his practice. He meticulously created sketches and drafts.
Furthermore, in his finished paintings, especially where forms beautifully dissolve into vibrant color, critics note that the line can “outlive itself,” with sometimes just a charcoal mark peeking through the layers. This subtle presence acts as a hint or a sign of a vanished figure, suggesting that drawing wasn’t merely a preliminary step but an underlying structure, an initial exploration that remained visible within the final painted surface—a true testament to the drawing process being integrated directly into the painting itself.
While April could effortlessly turn towards abstraction and often allowed forms to be suggested rather than strictly delineated, he fundamentally remained a figurative artist. His mastery of drawing provided the essential skill needed to render the human figure and other recognizable subjects with precision, even when they were presented in a dynamic or ethereal manner within his expressive compositions.
In essence, drawing for Aharon April was far more than just a preliminary step; it was a vital part of his artistic language and a powerful testament to his unwavering belief in the importance of craft, underpinning his profound exploration of form, memory, and the captivating interplay of light and color.
Aaron April’s art frequently turned to the world around him, depicting everyday life in both his early Soviet years and his transformative Israeli period. These works often fall into a category of “quite realistic or relatively realistic works with understandable plot,” offering viewers a recognizable window into human experience.
In his Israeli period, April painted intimate “scenes of life,” such as “The Family,” “Expecting the Heir,” and “A House in Jerusalem.” His watercolor “Eve of Sabbath. Congregating at the Wailing Wall” (1993) stands out for its “amazing precision” in rendering both architectural details and numerous tiny figures, showcasing his meticulous eye for detail even amidst a bustling scene.
Looking back to his early days in the Soviet Union, April’s art was often described as “realist pictures.” He tackled subjects common to the “shestidesiatniks” (artists of the 1960s), including pieces like “In the New Lands,” “A Tractor Driver Having a Meal,” and “Fishermen of Narym.” Early Siberian landscapes, such as “‘After Work’ 1958-60,” “‘In the Tomsk Region’, 1959” (which had a “big resonance”), “‘Here We Shall Live’ 1961,” “Outskirts of the Village” (1958), and “Houses on the Tom River,” also hinted at human presence and activity despite their primary focus on nature.
While these early works embraced realism, Matti Fischer suggests April employed “subtle irony to realize a subjective mode” in his Siberian landscapes, implying they were never a purely straightforward imitation of reality. This early period was often associated with the “severe style” or “austere style” of the time, marked by a more muted palette. April himself recalled being told he painted only with “umber,” describing the earth in his early work as “gray-umber,” a stark contrast to the brilliant colors that would later define his Israeli art.
The year 1972 marked a “sharp turn” in April’s life and artistic trajectory with his move from the Soviet Union to Israel. He effectively had to “start… from zero” artistically. While he brought his strong professional training from the Surikov school, the intense Israeli light profoundly influenced his palette and approach. This dramatic shift led to the vibrant, expressive, and “unchained” colors seen in his later works, including those capturing the nuances of everyday life in his new homeland.
