Amnon David Ar (Hebrew: אמנון דוד ער; born 12 December 1973 in Herzliyah, Israel) is an Israeli painter. He studied at the Arts and Crafts Municipal High School of Tel Aviv until the age of eighteen. After completing his compulsory military service, he studied anatomy with Oswald Adler. He then spent one year at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, before leaving, because he felt that both the training and the curriculum didn't provide the skills and knowledge he was looking for.[1] For this reason, Ar decided to organize his own studies, and spent a further year learning painting and drawing with Abraham Bykov.[2] By studying with older artists, Ar has trained himself in a traditional way, and can, at least in part, be considered an autodidact.[3] During his studies, Ar worked as a chief illustrator and caricaturist at Maariv and also at Yedioth Tikshoret.[1] Today, Ar also teaches painting and drawing, with the express intention of passing on to the next generation of artists, his experience, and with it his understanding of the artistic skills of the past.[1] In 2014 Ar moved to Berlin, where he has his studio and teaches.
Artistic style
Ar paints and draws his surroundings – both the people and everyday objects he finds around him in Tel Aviv. He does this, with a realist technique, often preferring to paint objects which are worn, rather than pristine. Robert Fishko, director of the Forum GalleryNew York City says: "Ar loves the rich variety of forms in visual reality. Instead of hiding or improving its imperfections, he focuses on them with enthusiasm."
Dr. Bob Van Den Boogert, Curator of the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam, states: "Ar loves the rich variety of forms in visual reality and instead of hiding or improving its imperfections he focuses on them with an eagerness that recalls Rembrandt's predilection for 'picturesque' subjects ... The rendering of the human body still is an artistic speciality which – especially nowadays – only a few painters really master. Ar is definitely one of them: his female nudes are modelled so delicately, and the texture of their skin is rendered in such a convincing way, that they really come to life on the canvas."
Dr Van Den Boogert continues: "Ar is one of the great draughtsmen of our time. He excels in rapid sketches, but also in extremely detailed studies, done in graphite and charcoal, or in white pencil on black paper. The expressive power and the plasticity of his drawings have such graphic qualities, that one wonders why he has not tried his skills on graphic art yet. But that may be one of his future projects: perhaps the best is yet to come."
"Observation Time" Janco Dada Museum, Ein Hod, Israel, 2000
"Amnon David Ar, Painting" The Museum of Israeli Art, Ramat Gan, Meir Ahronson, 2004
"Amnon David Ar" Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Professor Mordechai Omer, 2009
Ar is one of the great draftsmen of our time.
Dr.Bob Van Den Boogert, Curator of the Rembrandt house museum, 2005 Text for catalog
Ar's exceptional skill in rendering form and texture manifests itself particularly in his marvelous nudes, the rendering of the human body still is an artistic specialty which – especially nowadays – only a few painters really master. Ar is definitely one of them: his female nudes are modeled so delicately, and the texture of their skin is rendered in such a convincing way, that they really come to life on the canvas." "Ar not only follows Rembrandt’s footsteps in his preference for portraying contemplative people, he is also an extremely prolific painter of self-portraits. These self-portraits form a special category within Ar’s oeuvre, and one that contains only masterpieces. Especially Ar’s drawn self-portraits demonstrate his unique capacity to capture both the outside and the inside of people’s heads.
Canonic creations from the history of art are gazing from Amnon David Ar portraits. He reveals profound self awareness combined with an almost endless curiosity. Amnon David Ar is indeed self taught, but as such he is very familiar with the history of art, and it seems impossible not to notice the use he does with this knowledge in his paintings.
Dr. Aya Lurie, Director of the Herzelia Museum of Art, 2009 Text for catalog
The work of Amnon David Ar projects humility and seriousness that eliminates anything external to painting." "His Realism reflects severity that creates reliability; he is busy at painting, letting the substances seep gently, as if by coincidence.
Ruti Director, Curator at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, July 2004
He succeeds in adding to traditional tools of painting a free and fresh touch.
Go Jerusalem, December 2009
A moving, observing and profound exhibition.
Gogay, June 2005
Amnon David Ar winner of the Schiff prize chosen out of over fifty Artists.
Maariv, June 2008
Unlike most people Ar insists on understanding and examining the complexity of the psychological process of observation and interpretation of the forms and patterns we see around.
Ahbar Ha'ir , July 2011
His extraordinary technical capabilities are to no extent taking any of the emotional and intellectual reactions to of the viewer.
nrg, July 2008
Amazing Paintings by Amnon David Ar
The Flying Fruit Bowl
He is both nationally and internationally recognized as a master painter of exceptional talent.
The Great Nude
First Winner of the "Haiim Schiff" prize, overcoming 50 artists
