LeonidAfremov

VeniceGrandCanal
AllisonStanley

Biography
LeonidAfremovwasbornonJuly12,1955inVitebsk,Belarus.Afremovwenttothe
VitebskEducationinstitutewherehestudiedtheartsandinthegraphicsdepartment.Duringhis
collegeyearshewasinspiredbytheworksofChagallandModigliani.Henowcreatesworld
knownmasterpiecesfromoilsandwithapaletteknife.WhilelivinginSovietRussiafrom1976
to1990,AfremovexperienceddiscriminationduetohisJewishheritage.Duringthattime,
Afremovsworkwassoldprivatelyandwasntseenbymanypeople.Hedidnotkeeprecords
aboutanyofhisartworksfromthattimeperiodandmanydidntsurvive.
In1990,LeonidAfremovandhisfamilywasallowedtomovetoIsrael.Afewweeks
later,Afremovfoundanewjobintheadvertisementbusinessmakingsignsandposters.After,
heworkedinagalleryshopwherehewasintroducedtomakingframesandthepaletteknife.
GalleriesrefusedtosellhisworkbecausehewasstillconsideredaRussianimmigrant.Dueto
inabilitytosellhisartwork,heworkedwithwatercolorsandacrylicandhadverylittleartistic
freedom.In1994,hissonwentfromdoortodoorsellingAfremovspaintingsratherthanselling
themtothegallery.Hewasabletoopenuphisowngallerywiththehelpofhisfriends,which
wasvisitedbyRussianimmigrants.In1999,AfremovmetaJazzplayernamedLeonidPtashka,
whoinspiredAfremovtopainpopularJazzmusicians,andhelpedhimsecureanexhibitionin
Ashdod.Afterhavinghisartvandalizedanddestroyed,hedecidedtomovetotheUSin2002
wherehewouldberespected.
InFlorida,hewasintroducedtoebayandsoldhundredsofpaintingsthatway.Hewas
nowabletopaintfromhispersonalinspirationsratherthanwhatthepeoplewanted.He

preferedtoselldirectlytothecustomerratherthaningalleriesandgrewinpopularityaroundthe
nation.Hisartworkswereconsideredtoberelaxingandcalmandwereusedinmanymedical
andpsychiatrictherapyprocedures.
LeonidAfremovkeepshispaintingsneutralandkeepsthemunoffensivetoanyone.
Theydontsendanyhiddenmessagesbecausehereflectsonpersonalmemories/emotions.He
travelsaroundtheworldtotakepicturesandpaintthesceneslater.Heusesbrightcolorsto
giveapositiveattitudeandaimsforhavinghisartworkmeantforanyethnicgroup,andanyage.

ArtworkCritique
VeniceGrandCanal

FirstImpression:

MyfirstthoughtoftheVeniceGrandCanalartworkbyLeonidAfremovwasthatitwasjusta
bunchofcolorscombinedtogethertolooklikebuildingsandmaybelightsorstars.However,
whenIlookedcloser,Isawthatthebuildingwereproportionallyaccurateandthatspecific
detailswerefoundallthroughouttheartworkeventhoughitwasdonebyoils.Alsothereflection
inthewater,wasextremelydetailedinwhichyoucouldseealltheripplesinthewaterandthe
highlightscomingofffromthebuilding.OnceIresearchedapictureoftheactualGrandCanalin
Venice,IcouldimmediatelyfindaphotothatwasmostlikelyclosetowhereLeonidtookhis.
Anditwassoaccuratethattherewasverylittledifference,andmostlymorecolortomakeit
morelively.

Description:
TheartworkisfromaphotooftheGrandCanalinVeniceatnight.Astringof
lanternsfollowtheedgeofthewater,followedwithshopsandgondolasswayinginthepiers.

Thewindowsonthebuildingsandthepiersseemtoshownosignsoflife,showingthesleeping
cityofVenice.Thelightsonthebuildingsarebeingilluminatedandreflectedintothewater
whichrepresentsaslightbreezepassingthrough.Asyougofartherdowntowardsthehorizon,
thetapsofpaintgetwarmerandwarmerincolortoshowthesunset,andthecolorsgetdarker
andcolderasyoureachthetopendofthepainting.Includedonthebuildingsaredifferents
shadesandvaluesgivingtheperceptionofdepthandlighting,thebuildingsalongwiththe
water,havehighlightsthatarefromthedesignofthelanternsalongthecanal.

Analyze:
Thebuildingsalongthecanalgetssmallerasyoutraveldownthecanal.Thesizeofthe
buildingsshowthattherivercontinuesonwiththebuildingsclosesttotheartistarepaintedwith
Warnercolors,whileasyougoback,thecolorsturncolder.Colorslikeblueandpurpleversus
redandorange.Althoughincontrast,theskyisfollowingtheoppositepattern.Asyoumove
downtowardthefocalpointofthepictureanddowntheriver,thecolorsarered,orangeand
yellowshowingthatitiseitherasunsetorasunrise.Asyoumovefartherupthepainting,the
colorsgetdarkerandgiveyouacolderfeeling.Allofthesepiecescombinetoletyoureyesgo
tothefocalpointdowntheriver.Italsocreatesmovementthatallowsyoureyestofollowthe
buildingsdownthecanal,thenbackupthroughthesky.
LeonidAfremovbalancesthepicturebycreatingareflectiongivenoffthebuildings.Thisnot
onlymakesitmorerealistic,butbalancesthelightandcolorofthebuildings.,intothewateras
well.Also,thedabsofpaintintheskyarescattered,butallofthemareevenedoutandmixinto
eachothersosmoothlythatthereisntjustoneside/colorthatdominates.

Interpret:
Leonidsartworkismeanttobecalmingandrelaxing,andisusedinmanytypesoftherapy.He
createsittohavenomeaning,buttohelpyoufeelatpeace.VeniceGrandCanalwaspainted
offaphotothatAfremovhadtakenhimself.TheartworkisaboutaquietnightalongtheVenice
GrandCanal,whennobodyisaroundandthewatersarequiet.MostofLeonidsartworkshave
thesamestory.Aquietday/nightwithafocalpointofsomekind,wherenothingisgoingon
exceptthemainperson/scene.

Judgement:
IbelievethatAfremovdidextremelywelltoportraythefeelingofpeaceasidewiththeneedto
findapurposebehindit.Hemakestheartpiecesoclearthatyoudontneedtothinkhard,but
youreabletojustenjoythepicture.Ibelievethatthemostsuccessfulpartofthispaintingisthe
orderandchoiceofcolors.Bypickingoutthecorrectcolors,youareabletocapturetheright
moodofthepainting.
IfIwereaninstrumentalist,Iconsiderthistobeunsuccessfulbecauseitssohardtofinda
meaning/statementinthepainting.Simplybecausethereisntone!Thepaintingismeanttobe
neutralandgivepeoplethefeelingofpeaceandstillness.Thefactthatthere
is
nomeaning,is
thereasonwhyotherperspectivesconsiderittobesosuccessful.Anotheraestheticphilosophy
isapostmodernistwhobelievesthatapieceofartisallaboutapersonspersonallifetofind
themeaningandthatitcanbedifferent.Fromthispointofview,youwouldnoticethatLeonid
Afremovusescolortoexpresshimself.Byunderstandingmoreofhisbackground,youknow
thathehashadalifetimeofdiscriminationandtoughtrials.Sonowyoucangetastronger
conceptmostlikelywhatthepaintingmeanstohim.Thatinaworldfullofchaosand

misunderstandingwithoneanother,heisabletopaintapictureoftheVeniceGrandCanal
whichoriginallysymbolizessimplicityandbeauty.Leonidisabletocapturethatandaddmuch
moremeaningintothepainting.Hecreatesafeelingofcalmness,peace,unity,andatease.
Postmodernistswouldconsiderthisartworksuccessfulbecauseitportraystheemotionsofthe
artistandhisbackground,andcanrelatetoeveryoneadifferentway.

Reference:
https://afremov.com/LeonidAfremovbio.html