Aaron April’s watercolors are celebrated for their remarkable depth and luminosity, frequently featured in exhibitions alongside his commanding oil paintings. Defying the conventional notion that watercolors must be executed quickly, April often dedicated significant time to these works—sometimes even more than to his oils—allowing for an extraordinary richness and complexity. His status as a significant watercolorist was powerfully affirmed by his notable 2002 exhibition at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art.
Within this versatile medium, April explored an extensive range of subjects, including profound spiritual themes, evocative landscapes, and intricate allegorical compositions. He was particularly lauded for his seamless ability to blend figurative and abstract elements with precise tact, demonstrating a nuanced mastery unique to his vision. Critics consistently praise his exceptional skill in rendering light and subtle color nuances, observing how his watercolors convey an “internal light carried by the pigment itself” and the mesmerizing “melting desert colors.” This exquisite effect, achieved in watercolor, was often considered more refined than oil for capturing the delicate, almost ethereal luminosity of the southern Israeli landscape. Masterpieces like “On the Eve of Shabbat. Converging on the Wailing Wall” (1993) stand as prime examples, showcasing his “amazing precision” in depicting both architectural structures and intricate figures with breathtaking clarity.
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.
