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A still-life painter recognized for his imaginative juxtapositions of objects--fruit, vases, shells, pebbles, and most recently, flowers--James Aponovich conveys the spirit and “inner beauty” of his subject matter through harmonious compositions, superb draftsmanship, and a rich, glowing chromaticism. Painted in a hard-edged representational style, his still lifes also exemplify his concern for texture and form and reflect his need to evoke “the particularness of anything I paint.”
Aponovich attended the University of New Hampshire, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in 1971. He started out as a figurative painter but turned to still-life subjects in the mid-1970s. An avid gardener, he began exploring floral themes about 1995.
Aponovich often presents his still lifes--blossoms in a vase or arrangements of fruit and flowers on ledges or tabletops--against a background landscape or cityscape inspired by the Tuscany region of Italy, where he makes annual visits. Notable for their simplicity and refinement, his still lifes transcend the “stark realism” of his virtuoso painting style; through a discerning selection of objects, the use of carefully balanced compositions, and the elimination of unessential detail, he imbues his paintings with a magical, timeless quality that, in turn, incites feelings of calm and serenity in the viewer. Aponovich considers the clarity of light and the “sense of air” that permeates his canvases as reflecting his emulation of such Renaissance masters as Perugino, while his desire to capture the underlying essence of his subject matter derives from his early study of Chinese art.
Aponovich’s still lifes have been featured in numerous exhibitions devoted to the art of still life painting and to the realist tradition in the United States, among them The Order of Things, held at the Evansville Museum of Arts and Science in Florida in 1996, and New Horizons in American Realism, organized by the Flint Institute of Arts in Michigan in 1991. His work was examined within the context of surrealism in the exhibition Rene Magritte en de hedendaage en kunst (René Magritte and Contemporary Art) held at the Museum voor Moderne Kunst in Oostende, Belgium, in 1998. The artist’s numerous one-man shows include James Aponovich, organized by the Currier Gallery of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire, in 1985.
Aponovich is represented in major public, private, and corporate collections throughout the United States, including the Art Institute of Chicago; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Chemical Bank, New York; Michigan Bell, Detroit; and the Portland Art Museum, Portland, Maine.
CL
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