Alex Pauker
Alex Pauker was born in Russia in 1974, when the country was still under Communist rule. It was there in his homeland while attending Yekaterinburg College of Art that he discovered his natural talent for creating beautiful paintings of landscapes. Yekaterinburg, known as one of the most scenic cities in Russia and recognized as the capital of the Urals, is the first stop on the Trans-Siberian Railroad from St. Petersburg across the Europe/Asia divide. Following his graduation from college where his love of painting realistic renditions of the outdoors was surely enhanced, Pauker decided to travel the world looking for new inspiration for his canvases.
On his travels he was accompanied by Sveta Esser who he met in college and later married. Early on in their travels, Pauker discovered the entrancing scenery of Europe and was awarded a place in a student exchange program where he earned his second Art degree. During his studies in Europe he worked as an Illustrator and a Creative Consultant at a Publishing House. He also entered and won the second International Leningrad Art Contest.
Pauker paints in acrylic with both a brush and a palette knife, building up the surfaces of the works to a thick texture known as “Impasto.” Although his subjects are varied and taken from locales all over the world, they are united with a sense of peace, natural beauty and tranquility. Pauker’s motivation comes from his passion to capture the essence of the places he visits. To an extent, his work can be said to be influenced by the Fauvist movement of late nineteenth century Paris. Inspired by the late Impressionist works of Gauguin and van Gogh, this group of artists pushed the boundaries with their bold color choices and simplified design. As with the Fauves, Pauker’s aim is to express emotion through color choice. His style could also be said to be reminiscent of the Impressionists, yet his colors are contemporary.
Similar to the Impressionists, Pauker enjoys capturing the moment plein aire, as the scene unfolds—the beauty of the countryside in the early morning, a coastal scene at mid-day or the waters of Venice at dusk. “I mostly like to do paintings that play with light and shade,” he says. “Beautiful scenery, the ocean, the sun, nature, and flowers always give me new thoughts and ideas for a new painting. I just stand there, quickly drawing a small sketch and then run to the studio and try to recreate it in colors.”
With paint brush and palette knife this artist captures the ever-changing light of the idyllic vistas that inspire him. His use of light and shadows give a luminous quality to his beautiful seascape and garden images. Each of Pauker’s paintings is different from any of his others—the angle, the palette, the time of day—the variety of this talented artist would appear to be limitless. His power to translate the ordinary moment into the magical, invites us all to absorb his scenes of life’s simple pleasures and be refreshed.
The new Contemporary works by Alex Pauker are quite a departure from his signature realistic landscapes and seascapes. He brings a modernist twist to portraiture with a fun and playful palette of abstract faces. The composition comes together with bold, colorful dots and splashes.
Today Pauker lives with his wife Sveta Esser and their two children in Haifa. He and Sveta share a studio and together they continue to travel extensively throughout Europe to find new scenes and settings for their paintings. Pauker’s work can be found in many private collections in Israel, Europe and the United States, and is exhibited in museums and galleries abroad.
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