Aaron April’s oil and acrylic paintings underwent a profound transformation following his emigration to Israel in 1972. While his earlier Soviet works included powerful realist pieces like “Execution” (1961), which bravely confronted the realities of the Soviet Gulag and established him as a courageous painter, his later “Israeli” period exploded with multicolored, energetic, and passionate canvases.
A central tenet of his artistic vision in Israel was his intense engagement with light, particularly the unique and often “cruel” light of Jerusalem. April famously declared his goal was to “win this contest with the light,” tirelessly striving to capture or embody this elusive illumination within his canvases. His palette from this era is described as vigorous and comprehensive, capable of conveying a “violence of color” where hues seemingly “fight each other or embrace each other,” utterly captivating the viewer.
April’s oil paintings are often multi-meaningful, multifaceted, and fantastical, actively inviting the viewer to discover layers of interpretation. His style frequently blends figurative and abstract elements, with images often emerging from seemingly chaotic or pulsating colorful strokes. A key concept in his later work is the use of “memory stains”—brush strokes that function as self-contained vessels of light and space, mirroring the fragmented nature of memory. He reinterpreted Symbolism, emphasizing that meaning arises from the interplay of these material “signifiers” rather than from pre-existing metaphysical ideas. His canvases also aimed to combine the static aspects of painting with dynamic movement, offering the viewer a unique sense of “being” within a flowing, concentrated moment in time. Biblical themes are notably prominent, viewed not merely as historical stories but as part of the “very fabric of today’s life” and deeply connected to ancestral memory in Jerusalem, which he considered his spiritual motherland.
Aaron April’s landscapes are a profound testament to his artistic evolution, reflecting the stark contrasts and transformative power of the environments he inhabited. From the rugged vastness of Siberia to the luminous intensity of Israel, April’s brush captured the spirit of the land.
His early life in Siberia, marked by harsh conditions and deportation, left an indelible impression on his work. These initial experiences are echoed in the “bleak color emanating from the northern land,” hinting at the muted, yet deeply felt, palette of his early Soviet period. While early Siberian works like “‘After Work’ 1958-60,” “‘In the Tomsk Region’, 1959,” and “‘Here We Shall Live’ 1961” are grounded in realism, they also possess a “subtle irony to realize a subjective mode,” as noted by Matti Fischer, suggesting more than mere mimesis. The celebrated Russian painter Dmitry Zhilinsky, a close friend, particularly admired April’s “Siberian” pieces.
The year 1972 marked a pivotal moment, as April’s move to Israel ignited a dramatic shift in his artistic vision. The unique and intense Israeli light became both a challenge and an inspiration. April himself articulated this artistic struggle, stating, “In Jerusalem the light is unique – sometimes even cruel. It actively interferes with painting… Here, in Jerusalem happens that light kills the colours., it sometimes doesn’t allow us to perceive reality.” His declared ambition was to “win this contest with the light.” Critics widely acknowledge his triumph in this endeavor, with Yevgraf Konchin asserting that April “himself is that light,” and Felix Rosiner eloquently describing how April “emerged victorious from his struggle with the light by stealing it from heaven and placing it in the depths of his canvases and papers.”
This profound engagement with Israeli light led to a radical transformation in his palette and style. His Israeli landscapes are characterized by vigorous, comprehensive, multicoloured, energetic, and passionate paintings. The essence of his work from this period is defined by the “violence of colour and its perception,” where colors are perceived as “fighting each other or embracing each other.” Victoria Khan-Magomedova observes that in Israel, April found ultimate artistic freedom, liberating color in his art. His landscapes from this era are particularly noted for their ability to “render the light well,” showcasing his mastery in capturing the elusive nuances of the southern nature that oils sometimes lacked. April’s exploration of the Israeli landscape also extended to exquisite watercolor landscapes, where his unique approach to the “transfer of the luminescence of color” allowed him to convey the subtle brilliance of the intense light.
