MadelineBashore

12January2015
Ms.Fotu
Art1020
LeonidAfremovResearchPaper

BornonJuly12,1955in
Vitbsk,BelarusLeonid
AfremovwasborntoJewish
ParentsArkadiyandBella
Afremov.Leonidgrewupina
JewishhomewithJewish
practicesandculture
influencinghislifeand
eventuallyhisartwork.After
hisparentsdiscoveringhis
particularinterestinpainting
theyencouragedhimtoexercisehisskillsandgothimanarttutor.LaterHewasenrolled
intoahighschoolinVitbskwherehetookasmanyartandhistoryclassesashecouldto
furtherhisartisticability,evensellingsomepaintings.Afterhegraduatedhighschoolhe
wasacceptedintoVitebskEducationInstituteestablishedbyMarkChagallin1921where
hecontinuedhisstudiesinArtandGraphics.Herehediscoveredhisindividualpainting
stylewherehediscoveredheenjoyspaintingwithpaletteknivesinsteadofpaintbrushes.
Heparticipatedinmanyartshowsthroughouthiscollegecareerandwasexposedto
manyfamouspaintersworksthatinspiredhisown.Hegraduatedfromthiscollegewith
honorsin1978havinghisartworkondisplayforaperiodoftimeinover19since.
BornafewyearsaftertheHolocaustendedLeonidAfremovgrewupstillhavingpeople
prejudiceagainsthim.ToescapethishisfamilywasapartofthemassiveJewishMigrationand
hemovedtoIsraelin1990.HeleftRussiaandreturnedtohisfamilieshomeland.Hesoonsaw

thatalthoughhispaintingsarepoliticallyneutralonlypropagandaposterswouldsellinthesoviet
unionsohisworkbecameunavailabletobesoldthereforaperiodoftime.Onlytwoweeksafter
movingtoisraelhefoundajobintheadvertisingagencypaintingbillboards.Shortlyafterhe
foundthisjobhisartstudiowasvandalizedandallowedhimachancetomovetotheunited
states.HemovedtotheUnitedStatesin2002toBocaRaton,Floridawherehecontinuedtopaint
andworkonhisartstyleuntil2010whenAfremovmovedtoPlayaDelCarmen,Mexico.He
currentlyresidesinaresorttownherenearCancunandpaintsmanylandscapes,seascapes,and
seascenes.
LeonidAfremovwasinspiredbymanyartists.Someoftheartistsandtimeperiodshe
studiedinhiscollegeyearsthatinspiredhisworkincludedPicasso,Dali,MarchChagall,
Picasso,Modiglianiandthe19thcenturyFrenchImpressionism.Oneoftheartistswhomost
inspiredhisworkwasMarchChagall.UponstudyingMarchChagallsworkincollegeandhigh
schoolLeonidAfremovusesalotofthesamecolorsandtechniques.Heusesmanyboldcolors
andallofhispaintingsreflecthispersonalartstyle.Hisstyledisplayseverythingtolookrainy
butusesmanycolorsandhasalotofreflections.HispaintingsshowthatMarkChagallhada
hugeimpactonAfremovsworknotonlybecauseoftheboldcolorsbutalsobecausetheyuse
someofthesametechniques.Afremovuseshorizontallinesonalmostallofhispaintingsandhe
alsopaintswithapaletteknifewhichChagallisoccasionallyknowntodo.Anotherpersonwho
inspiredAfremovwasDali.Afremovdoesthesameskytechniques.LikeDali,Afremovdoes
swirlingskiesandusesmanypaintcolorskeepingthecolorsseparatesotheystandoutagainst
oneanother.

LeonidAfremovhassomanygreat
works.Myfirstreactiontohispainting
entitledCannesFrancewasamazement.
Allofthecolorscomplimentedeach
otherflawlesslyandmixedperfectlyto
createatextureofrainwhilehavingall
ofthecolorsoftherainbow.This

paintingwasoriginallydoneona36x48canvasusingonlyapaletteknifetoapplytheoil
paint.Inallofhispaintingsheusescountlesshorizontalstrokestocreatearoughtexture.His
paintingslooklikeitisalwaysraining,butitisasifthereisarainbowreflectingoffevery
raindroptocreatesuchacolorfulpicture.Thethemeofthispaintingisthatallthingshave
beauty,sometimesyoumayjustneedtoaddcolortobringoutthatbeauty.LeonidAfremovs
mindseesthingsdifferentlythanmanypeople.Hedrawshowhefeelsandhepaintswhatmany
peopledonotsee.Inhiseyes,theworldisaworldfulloflifeandcolor.Beyondwhatisseen
firstoffinthispaintingIbelievethereisadeepermeaningtothecolorsheusesandthescenery
hechoosestopaint.Mostofhispaintingsarepaintedatnightsohecanbringoutthelights
reflectingoffbuildingsandthemoonlightorsettingsunlight.Thisshowsheseesthemost
beautifulthingsincolorsonlyshownintheskyorreflectedoffthingsforlessthananhouraday.
Tomehisartspeaksitsownlanguageandastoundsmehowhispaintingcanappeartoberaining
whileatthesametimebethemostcolorfulartworkmyeyeshaveeverseen.Thelocationhe
choosestopaintisahugeindicationonhowhefeelsandwhathispaintingstylemightbe.He
choosesmanyplacesrichinculturelikeGreece,France,andSpain.InhispaintingsAfremov
doesanextraordinaryjobexpressingeachplacesindividualcultureandsurroundings.Inplaces
likeGreeceheuseslightercolorswhileinpaintingswhereheispaintingspainheusesmorebold
flashycolorsthataremorelikelytostickoutagainsteachotherwhileatthesametime
complimenteachother.Afremovpaintsstilllifepaintingsandcityscapesthemostandwhenone
looksathispaintingsitisnowonderheenjoystodothemthebest.InhispaintingCannes
Francethewayhedisplaysthelightreflectingoffthewatershowshisdefiniteskillatpainting
andshowsthetimehehastakentogettobesophenomenalatit.Thebuildingseachgiveoffa
differentlightdependingonhowcloseorfarawayfromthemoontheyare.LeonidAfremov
showsdistanceflawlesslyinhispaintings.Thebuildingsoritemsclosetothemainpointofthe
paintingarealwaysmoreclearthandistantareasandtheareasclosertothemainlightsourceare
alwayslighterwhiletheareasfurtherawaybecomemoredarkandmovethrougheachcolorof
therainbowasthepaintingslowlymovestodarkercolors.
ThehistorybehindhisworkisshownineverypaintingAfremovdoes.Whetherinthe
colorshechoosesorthetimeperiodsorarthechoosestodothehistoryisalwaysshown.In

happiertimeperiodshispaintingshavelightercolorswhilethecolorsaredarkerin
correspondencewithdarkerormoresadtimeperiods.Anyinterperitationofhisworkisright
dependingonhowtheaudienceviewshiswork.
AllofthepaintingsIhaveseendonebyLeonidAfremovareverysuccessfulandthe
themesofeachonecanteachsomeoneaveryimportantlesson.ThelessonsIhavepersonally
learnedfromtheworkofLeonidAfremovhavemainlytaughtmetoseetheworldasitbeingfull
oflifeandcolorandthatthereisalwaysbeautyandgoodinallthings.WhenIfirstlookedinto
theworkofAfremovIjustthoughtthepaintingswerebeautifulandcolorful,butaftercloser
examinationIhaveseenthattheyaresomuchmorethanbeautiful.Eachpaintingtellsastory
andgivesalifelessonthatIcanlearnfrom.