Alex Levin Biography
An Israeli artist Alex Levin is an uncommon phenomenon in contemporary art. His growing popularity may surprise those who think that classical art, painting in particular, has already had it’s day and new comers should be looking for new forms to succeed in art. At first glance, the young artist does not keep pace with time or even try to do what attracts today’s buyers – abstract art of all kinds, vulgar nudity and sets of incomprehensible symbols branded as “installation”.
The paintings of Alex Levin are neither photographic images of the surrounding reality, nor are they some exorbitant cosmic fantasies under the slogan of “this is my way of seeing things”. Perhaps the main virtue of this artist and the secret of his success, is his respect for his audience which is steadily growing both in Israel and all over the world. Alex’s paintings are a conversation with his colleagues and friends on equal terms not to mention like-minded people from the point of view of aesthetic taste. Every participant in this conversation can feel fully fledged.
Quietly and unobtrusively in his paintings Alex Levin presents the world of ultraorthodox Jews (Haredim). Those people who radiate light and quietude while being a live continuum of the ancient Jerusalem. The Holy City that normally flashes in the news in connection with some dramatic events, inAlex Levin’s works it is always peaceful and gracious. The artist sees the heaven’s component of Jerusalem in full accordance with a popular verse which sense has been unfortunately distracted by traditional translation. In fact it begins like this:“Above so clear sky there is a precious place.” In Alex’s paintings the heavenly Jerusalem nears the earthly one and the Temple Mount out there is a starting point for new time. The time that according to the Jewish tradition is about to come along upon Meshiah’s arrival.
Now Alex Levin begins his new series of paintings in which Jerusalem is presented as a center of three religions. But not only that! Atheists will also find some room for themselves. The eternal capital of the Jewish peoplewill present itself in the new paintings as the center of the world open for all regardless of their race, nationality and religion. Everyone will find a spot for themselves in the Holy City and cramped is what they won’t be!
The second important theme in Alex Levin’s art is Tel Aviv which name is normally translated as “The Spring Hill”. Whatever season is depicted in Alex’s works, spring always prevails. You can see it in the way people walk, on the buildings’ facades, in portrayals of the sea and the beaches. In these paintings there are neither traffic jams and social tensions, nor is a photographic reflection of the stern reality of the southern quarters of the town nor are reminders of any other problems. But then, there is the sun that warms everyone, there are beautiful people against snow white buildings and the blue sky. And this is also Israel and people who live here are not worse or better than those who live in Bnaj-Brak or the Jerusalem’s borough of Mea-Sharim – they are simply different.
And finally, “The Venetian Fantasies” by Alex Levin lead us away into the world of masks, theater and acting. Somehow the water and stones of the ancient Venice greatly resemble the beaches of Tel-Aviv and the streets of the Old Town in Jerusalem as well. The subject matter of the Alex’s masks is very uncommon, one can feel here the influence of the Jewish tradition on the creative work of a secular Israeli artist. First of all, the question here is about the holiday of Purim which symbolizes not only the outer but also the inner, spiritual transformation, summons up to not to be fear of changes. The Jewish sages say that Purim will not disappear even after Meshiah’s advent. Similarly, never will disappear the air and water, the earth and fire – the 4 main elements that whimsically and uniquely interweave themselves in the Alex Levin’s paintings.
And now we will tell you about some works of this artist in a more thorough way.
Welcome to Jerusalem
It’s not an easy task, to define the genre of the well known Israeli artist Alex Levin’s painting “Welcome to Jerusalem.” What is it – today’s Jerusalem or a Jerusalem of the faraway past? Or what if it is the Jerusalem of the future? Most probably, as one can often see in Alex’s works, history gets entangled with the present, reality with dreams of the future, the subject of daily and festive prayers of observant Jews.
In the central part of the painting one can see three men representing three generations, most probably they are a grandfather, a father and a son. Perhaps, they are Jerusalem residents, but they could be pilgrims or repatriates as well. They could have come here from some Russian-Jewish pale. And what if this trio escaped the flames of Holocaust? Or they are simply the shadows of those who unfortunately were unable to save themselves and turned into ashes in the long-stretching Europe so hospitable recently?Clothes worn by people in Alex’s paintings are traditional –this is how the orthodox Jews dressed themselves in the Eastern Europe 2 and 3 hundred years ago, this is how they look like today in Bney-Brak and Jerusalem’s quarter of Mia-Shearim.
Jerusalem on this canvas by Alex Levin never leaves the walls of the Old City. You can’t see any new housing, asphalt andhere, and there is noroom for tension and anxiety. But the clouds running above the City are illuminated by the pre-dawned sun. It rises in the East, from the side where the Temple once stood and The Gates of Mercy Shaar a-Rahameem still stand. Many centuries ago, the Islamic rulers of the Sacred City ordered to block these gates with stones to prevent the Jewish Meshiah from coming but how could such an obstacle stop Him?
Most probably, the light in the horizon is nothing but the new, third Temple and it is the final destination point for the people on the painting…They walk in expectation of the One who will restore the Temple and bring all the Jews back to the Sacred Land. And finally, the most audacious supposition: one of the two men on the painting is Meshiah himself. And this is why the painting carries the name “Welcome to Jerusalem” and it is Him that the artist is inviting to the Sacred City.
However, in case our suppositions are not true and Meshiah has not approached the Jerusalem’s wall sofar, don’t get frustrated. Each and every one of us can come to the sacred City and see it the way it is on the Alex Levin’s paintings. All it takes is a wish…
Berkat Kohanim by Alex Levin
Berkat Kohanim, is dedicated to an event one can observe in the Old City (by the Western Wall) just twice a year – in the days of Passover and Sukkot, in spring and fall. That is when the descendants of Kohanim from entire Israel and the rest of the world come down to the most sacred place of the Jewish people. They praise all who came to Jerusalem on that day in accordance with the ceremony established many years ago.
The square in front of the Western Wall as one can see iton this painting by Alex Levin, is filled up with people in white prayer shawls (talits). White clothing of Kohanim and other males who came in for blessing are in contrast with colorful apparel of women occupying the Southern sector near the Wall. From the former and future Temple they are separated by a really little space, still insurmountable.But the spot where the Temple used to stand on is already free, all it takes is climbing up – not as much physically but mostly spiritually.
People at the Wall seem to be a whole mass and at first glance, they are deprived of individuality. But still, in the front there is a striking person – an orthodox Jew sitting on the roof of a Jerusalem’s house with his hands clasping his head. It is hard to say what he is thinking of at this moment. Maybe he is just praying and begging the Lord to bring all the Jews back from exile and restore the Temple? Or else, he might be scared of Meshiah’s coming? Meaning the sufferings related to His coming? But the most important thing is that the man is above all those who are praying at the Wall, and he can see what they can’t. Even with his eyes shut…
MigdalDavidmorningGlowbyAlexLevin
The painting by Alex Levin called ‘Migdal David morning Glow’ is very unusual in many respects.
There is no square at the Kotel in the Old City of Jerusalem on it – the main hero in Alex’s paintings. There is another object on it which has long since turned into a tourist symbol of the Israel’s capital.
In truth, according to the majority of expert historians, the Tower of David has little to do with the king himself. In fact, in question here is a minaret belonging to Osmanian period though inn in the historic-archeological complex of the Tower of David there are well preserved buildings related to all periods of Jerusalem’s existence. The City that namely King David made the capital of Israel... Perhaps here lies the main peculiarity of Jerusalem – the City of Heaven and Earth that throughout several thousand years absorbed the history of dozens of peoples and cultures. But still the Holy Town has the dominating Jewish constant even in parts of it where different epochs are interwoven.
This painting by Alex Levin helps to almost physically feel the sense of words “Golden Jerusalem”. With gilded fog saturated are the air, the walls of the Old City and of course, the cypresses and olive trees. One can see that the sunshine has not broken through the morning clouds yet but it’s appearance above the horizon has already notified the Jews ofthe time for morning prayer(Shacharit). This moment cannot be missed – otherwise, the energy which fills the morning air will dissolve until next dawn.
But the people pictured on this masterpiece don’t seem to be in a rush. They are a part of Jerusalem’s unique atmosphere, they are included in it for good. And this is the contest in which the legend of the Wandering Jew acquires new meaning…In principle, any correlation in time among this work and other paintings by Alex Levin is pretty conditional – that is the way the fortress walls of the Holy City looked like today and many years ago. Jerusalem existed and will exist beyond the concept of time – like the Jews themselves who were called the symbol of eternity by philosophers and writers of different epochs and countries.
Light to the Nations by Alex Levin
The painting ‘Light to the Nations’ is one of the most recent works by the Israeli artist Alex Levin.
It is the sign of his art coming of new age. This time we are talking a rare genre – picturing prophecy. Few years back this kind of subject was unthinkable of until a Jewish patron of art from Kiev made a really kinglike present to Jerusalem-Golden Menorah. The foreshortening of Menorah’s image in the Alex Levin’s painting is quite concrete – it is placed in the background of that particular part of the Temple Mount where the First and Second Temples used to be located and according to the Jewish sages, the Third, Eternal and indestructible Temple is about to appear.
The Golden Menorah in a see-through but very solid envelope reminds of a spacecraft ready to launch. In terms of outer space, it is destined to overcome a very short distance – the Temple Mount is so near! But the launch time is not set up yet despite the fact that the question of when is up to us only. The artist and a generous patron of art with a Jewish soul bring this time nearer with their gift from God and material values. Next to Menorah one can see orthodox Jews of all ages – a lot depends on them too. They and their predecessors have kept their faith to the Holy City through the years and now they are here again, for the traditional morning ceremony at the Menorah near the Western Wall at the Temple Mount. An old man shows a child exactly where there was and Will Be the New Temple and it is not important for the artist as to what is located there at this moment.
On the Alex Levin’s painting the rising sun’s beams have not driven away the dawn’s semidarkness yet but the morning prayer time (Shaharit) has already come. A little later the prayer will take place not near the Temple Mount but on it – along the rules, not far from Menorah which will definitely take it’s place. This is what not the Jews only need. The name of the painting - Light to the Nations – is borrowed from Tanakh, the Book of Isaiah. This prophet’s words about everybody’s peace and prosperity upon Meshiah coming (Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares) are stamped on the memorial at the entrance to the UN building in New York. But for this prophecy to come true, the light of the Golden Menorah should shine in the Third Temple in Jerusalem!
To the Light by Alex Levin
The work by Alex Levin named “To the Light” is very unusual with it’s genre. It’s one of the most mysterious paintings of the talented Izraeli artist – at least because the steep street in the Old City of Jerusalem reminds of the “Time Spiral”, the favorite child of Hollywood. In fact, in those movies the Time Spiral usually leads back to the past whereas in the painting “To the Light” it leads to the future. Light and Dark, Good vs Evil – they are the foundation of Judaic philosophy. Moving up to the light is always difficult and in the painting by Alex Levin one can see that this is not an easy path for his hero.
Jerusalem is a complicated town indeed, where it’s hard to stay true to oneself. Of course it’s way easier for those who lives in a religious community but nevertheless, a moral choice is always individual. This was described by a famous rabbi Joseph Solovejchik in his book “Lonely religious man”. Preserving one’s unique inner world while being a part of one’s people with their traditions and ways of life – this is what every Jew’s most important task is all about.
The game of light and shade on the Alex Levin’s canvas helps discover the character and life cravings of it’s hero – like the vines breaking through the rocks. This is why people say that green is the color of hope. The stones of Jerusalem never suppressed life, on the contrary, they always supported it. And the lamp above the head of a religious man reminds us the well known aphorism of Baal Shem-Tov, the founder of Hasidic Judaism: “Even the weak beam of light disperses dark in a long distance.”
Alexander Riman.
Researcher of the Jewish Heritage and Journalist, Israel.