Avi Schwartz
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Avi Schwartz (; born 1938) is an Israeli
painter Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...
.


Biography


Childhood and adolescence

Avi Schwartz was born in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
,
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
, in 1938. His family was in the
diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of e ...
business. Early in life he absorbed
artistic Art is a diverse range of culture, cultural activity centered around works of art, ''works'' utilizing Creativity, creative or imagination, imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an express ...
values at home, where the walls were decorated with pictures from his father's rich art collection. The realityle of portraits and scenery was then considered classic, and Avi strived to imitate it. His opportunity came during World War II, while Bucharest was being bombed, and he and his family were forced to remain at home for long periods of time. During those days he copied the pictures he saw before him. In 1947 his family succeeded in leaving Romania and immigrated to
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
in 1948, via Paris. Here they were met by his grandfather, Moses Josephson, the first president of the
Israel Diamond Exchange Israel Diamond Exchange Ltd., located in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel, is the world's largest diamond exchange and the centre of Israel diamond industry, Israel's diamond industry. The exchange is a private company that inco ...
, who had immigrated to Palestine before the war. In his youth he studied in the "Shalva High School in
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
, and with his parents' encouragement he enrolled in the Avni Institute (a college for Art and Design). He was the youngest student there, and was proud to have successfully passed its entrance exams. The Avni Institute was then run by
Moshe Mokady Moshe Mokady (Brandstatter) (; 1902–1975) is an Israeli artist. Biography Mokady was born in Tarnów with the name Moshe Brandstatter, to Abraham and Helena Brandstatter. In 1914 his family moved to Vienna where he studied painting with Laz ...
, and among its teachers were
Yehezkel Streichman Yehezkel Streichman (; 1906 – January 12, 1993) was an Israeli painter. He is considered a pioneer of Israeli modernist painting. Among the awards that he won were the Dizengoff Prize and the Israel Prize. Biography Yehezkel Streichman was b ...
,
Avigdor Stematsky Avigdor Stematsky (; 1908–1989) was a Russian-born Israeli painter. He is considered one of the pioneers of Israeli abstract art. Biography Stematsky was born in 1908 in Odessa, Russian Empire (now Odesa, Ukraine). He studied under Isaac Frenk ...
, and Marcel Janko.


The Avni Institute and beyond

During this period the prevailing artistic perceptions at the Avni Institute leaned towards abstract art and were in search of a new, modernistic and cosmopolitan language of expression. This was in contradiction to the "old
Bezalel In Exodus 31:1-6 and chapters 36 to 39, Bezalel, Bezaleel, or Betzalel (, ''Bəṣalʼēl''), was the chief artisan of the Tabernacle and was in charge of building the Ark of the Covenant, assisted by Oholiab. The section in chapter 31 descr ...
art", "tourist paintings" and realism that imitated what the eye saw. In the Avni institute Avi became exposed to
abstract expressionism Abstract expressionism in the United States emerged as a distinct art movement in the aftermath of World War II and gained mainstream acceptance in the 1950s, a shift from the American social realism of the 1930s influenced by the Great Depressi ...
, to an approach which considered art to be an intuitive medium for the expression of feelings, reflecting
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
and the
subconscious In psychology, the subconscious is the part of the mind that is not currently of focal awareness. The term was already popularized in the early 20th century in areas ranging from psychology, religion and spirituality. The concept was heavily popu ...
, etc. According to this view, realistic painting had reached its summit, and had thus come to an end. The process of study at the Institute consisted of basic, primary guidance during the lesson, emphasizing work at home - work by trial and error, then standing up to critique in class. Schwartz did not relate well to these methods, nor to the artistic language of Steimatzky or Streichman and Janco, who belonged to the group called "
New Horizons ''New Horizons'' is an Interplanetary spaceflight, interplanetary space probe launched as a part of NASA's New Frontiers program. Engineered by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the Southwest Research Institut ...
". He was looking for "the real thing" according to him, figurative painting. This lack of communication between him and his teachers led to an "arid period", during which he ceased to paint. When the
Sinai Campaign The Suez Crisis, also known as the Second Arab–Israeli War, the Tripartite Aggression in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel, was a British–French–Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956. Israel invaded on 29 October, having done so w ...
broke out, Avi left the Avni Institute and his high school and enlisted in the army, the IDF. Later he married Nurit, finished his matriculation exams, and for a short period studied history in the
Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) is a Public university, public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Located in northwest Tel Aviv, the university is the center of teaching and ...
. To make a living he worked in diamond polishing and later managed the diamond, precious stone and metalworking department in the Ramat Gan ORT School. He began painting again only at the age of 30, when he met the artist Zvi Shorr, who told him that "the world is not abstract, and no painting should be abstract - paint the world as you see it". Zvi Schor had been exposed to modern art and French
Expressionism Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...
, and had even lived for some time in Paris. Despite this, his paintings remained descriptive and realistic, made by
impressionistic Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
movements of the paintbrush, inspired by the paintings of
Edgar Degas Edgar Degas (, ; born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, ; 19 July 183427 September 1917) was a French Impressionist artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings. Degas also produced bronze sculptures, prints, and drawings. Degas is e ...
,
Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation, influenced avant-garde artistic movements of the early 20th century a ...
and others. Avi Schwartz was very much influenced by him, and was considered "the direct disciple of Zvi Schor".


Back to the art world

Schwartz also studied art with Professor Schwartzman, but was most influenced by two artists who became his "masters"-
Shimshon Holzman Shimshon Holzman (variant name: Shimson Holzman; ; 1907–1986) was an Israeli landscape and figurative painter. He is known worldwide for his water color paintings. Background Holzman was born in 1907, in Sambir, Galicia (Central Europe), Galic ...
and
Arieh Lubin Arieh Lubin (; 1897–1980) was an Israeli artist. Biography Arieh (Leo) Lubin began to study art in Chicago in 1915, but left to join the Jewish Brigade in World War I. After the war, he studied in Europe and returned to Israel in 1922. Art ...
. Holzman was identified with the artists of the
Paris School The School of Paris (, ) refers to the French and émigré artists who worked in Paris in the first half of the 20th century. The School of Paris was not a single art movement or institution, but refers to the importance of Paris as a centre o ...
, and became known as an outstanding aquarelle painter. Aryeh Lubin was influenced by Cézanne, and painted illuminated Safad synagogues, vendors in the
Tiberias Tiberias ( ; , ; ) is a city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel. A major Jewish center during Late Antiquity, it has been considered since the 16th century one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities, along with Jerusalem, Heb ...
marketplace, and
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
characters in cafes. The friendship that developed between Schwartz, Holzman and Lubin, led to regular meetings, during which the three of them sometimes traveled to the markets of
Ramle Ramla (), also known as Ramle (, ), is a city in the Central District of Israel. Ramle is one of Israel's mixed cities, with significant numbers of both Jews and Arabs. The city was founded in the early 8th century CE by the Umayyad caliph Su ...
and
Lod Lod (, ), also known as Lydda () and Lidd (, or ), is a city southeast of Tel Aviv and northwest of Jerusalem in the Central District of Israel. It is situated between the lower Shephelah on the east and the coastal plain on the west. The ci ...
, but mostly worked and painted together in cafes and at the
Jaffa Jaffa (, ; , ), also called Japho, Joppa or Joppe in English, is an ancient Levantine Sea, Levantine port city which is part of Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, located in its southern part. The city sits atop a naturally elevated outcrop on ...
seafront. They were joined at times by
Nachum Gutman Nachum Gutman (as he himself signed; alternate romanisation: Nahum Gutman; ; October 5, 1898 – November 28, 1980) was a Moldovan-born Israeli painter, sculptor, and author. Biography Nachum Gutman was born in Teleneşti, Bessarabia Gov ...
. In 1979 Holzman invited Schwartz to Paris to join the workshops that were being held in the famous art school, the "
Académie de la Grande Chaumière The Académie de la Grande Chaumière () is an art school in the Montparnasse district of Paris, France. History The school was founded in 1904 by the Catalan painter Claudio Castelucho on the rue de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, near the A ...
", and he complied.


Style characteristics

Zvi Shorr, whose personality was formed by European culture, was very pedantic with his pupil Avi Schwartz about the use of colors in his paintings –mainly burnt Sienna,
Prussian blue Prussian blue (also known as Berlin blue, Brandenburg blue, Parisian and Paris blue) is a dark blue pigment produced by oxidation of ferrous ferrocyanide salts. It has the chemical formula . It consists of cations, where iron is in the oxidat ...
, and ochre yellow. On the other hand, Holzman and Lubin exposed him to other color options, emphasizing Israeli sunlight and sharp contrasts. Schwartz incorporated their teaching into his art, and like them was inspired by the sights and experiences he absorbed outside the studio. His works are deeply connected to the viewed object (landscapes, figures, etc.), permeating urban reality, Jaffa neighborhoods, its coffee shops, sea and port, etc. Schwartz' paintings deal with the figurative representation of space, showing figures drawn on site, catching immediate impressions, focusing especially on characters from the marginal strata of society: unfortunate people at rest or at work. Even though his works deal with social themes, it must be emphasized that they do not express any political or socially subversive stand. His subjects are not drawn as a protest against the social wrongs perpetrated against them by the ruling powers, or even to show their "miserable existence". Schwartz observes his subjects, and translates what he sees from his very personal viewpoint to the canvas. He "maps out" his figures as viewed from some distance, without being an integral part of the scene.


Solo exhibitions

* 1972 – ''Champs Elysee'',
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
, South Africa * 1974 – Israelis Gallery, Tel Aviv * 1976 – Art Sanctuary,
Holon Holon (, ) is a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel, located south of Tel Aviv. Holon is part of the Gush Dan, Gush Dan metropolitan area. In , it had a population of , making it the List of cities in Israel, tenth most populous city in Isra ...
* 1978 – "Ten Years of Creativity" - Yad Lebanim Museum,
Petach Tikvah Petah Tikva (, ), also spelt Petah Tiqwa and known informally as Em HaMoshavot (), is a city in the Central District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv. It was founded in 1878, mainly by Haredi Jews of the Old Yishuv, and became a permanent settlement ...
* 1979 - Ramat Hasharon Gallery * 1981, 1986, 1988 – Weizman Gallery,
Beer Sheva Beersheba ( / ; ), officially Be'er-Sheva, is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the centre of the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in Israel, the eighth-most po ...
* 1984 – Uri and Rami Nehushtan Museum, Ashdot Yaakov * 1985 – "Miniatures", Kontiki Gallery,
Caracas Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...
,
Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
* 1986, 1988, 1995 – Meir Art Gallery,
Raanana Ra'anana () is an affluent city in the southern Sharon Plain of the Central District of Israel. It was founded in 1922 as an American-Jewish settlement, 1 km south of the village of Tabsur, where an important World War I battle had tak ...
* 1987 – Gallery 13.5, Jaffa, Tel Aviv * 1993 – Gevanim Gallery, Panorama Hotel,
Haifa Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...
* 1994 – Princess Hotel Gallery,
Eilat Eilat ( , ; ; ) is Israel's southernmost city, with a population of , a busy port of Eilat, port and popular resort at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on what is known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat and in Jordan as the Gulf of Aqaba. The c ...
* 2006 – Zaritsky Artists House, Tel Aviv * 2009 – Kings Gallery, Jerusalem


Group exhibitions

* 1972, 1995 – Yad Lebanim Museum, Petach Tikvah * 1974 – Israeli Artists in the President's Residence, Jerusalem * 1974, 1975, 1984 – Tel Aviv Artists, Zaritsky Artists House, Tel Aviv * 1976 – Israeli Artists,
Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, Canada * 1977 – The First "Autumn Art Salon", ZOA House, Tel Aviv * 1979 – "Spring Salon", Israeli Artists in
Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
, Switzerland * 1986, 1988 – Selected Israeli Artists,
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...
; Berlin, Germany * 1990, 2004 – Art Expo,
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
; Los Angeles, U.S.A. * 1991 – "International Art Show", Tokyo, Japan : - Beit Eli Municipal Gallery,
Ashkelon Ashkelon ( ; , ; ) or Ashqelon, is a coastal city in the Southern District (Israel), Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The modern city i ...
* 1997, 1999 – Bible House Museum, Tel Aviv * 1997 – "Miniatures", Beit Abba Hushi, Haifa : - Union of Artists and Sculptors House, Ramat Gan * 1998 – "Landscapes", The Library Gallery,
Giv'atayim Givatayim () is a city in Israel east of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan area. Givatayim was established in 1922 by pioneers of the Second Aliyah. In it had a population of . The name of the city comes from the "two hills" on w ...
* 2000 – The Land of Israel Museum, Tel Aviv : - The Chagall Artists House, Haifa * 2000, 2004, - Artists House, Petach Tikvah * 2003 – Culture Palace, Petach Tikvah * 2004 – Kings Gallery, Jerusalem


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Schwartz, Avi Israeli painters Jewish Israeli painters 1938 births Living people Artists from Bucharest Romanian emigrants to Israel Alumni of the Académie de la Grande Chaumière Israeli portrait painters