Judith Appleton

Born in 1948

USA/Israel

date of insertion in W.A.D. 12/2023

https://judithappleton.com/

Biography

I am an Israeli-American multidisciplinary artist – an observational painter, engaged in drawing. Over the past few years, I have added video art to my practice, engaging in narratives that go beyond what I can express in perceptual paintings. My major interests in perceptual paintings are landscape and the figure.

Born in the USA and raised on the East Coast, I participated in summer art studies in New Jersey during secondary school, and continued on the university level with art history, history, drawing courses in college, and in evening studies at the School of Visual Arts, NYC. My family background placed great importance on photography and perfecting compositions, but did not encourage painting as a career.

The family did encourage identification with Israel. I always intended to move there. This goal I finally accomplished in 1978.

My first few years in Israel consisted of living in a rural collective kibbutz, including orange picking. I drew in the fields after work. There was a strong differentiation in kinds of work that were considered appropriate for men, and I had to contend with the expectations of “women’s work.”

I was soon introduced to the Kibbutz Artist Workshop which held weekly classes and 3-day landscape painting sessions at different locations throughout the country. The variety of the scenes and the opportunity to work quickly with the changing light was tremendously exciting to me. The encounter with Mediterranean light and how it differs from the East Coast of the USA continued to intrigue me. This is one of the ways that I pull from the familiar atmosphere and qualities of the outdoor world I knew from my early years as compared with what I encounter in my chosen country.

Upon acceptance to the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem, I moved to the capitol city and earned a BFA in Fine Arts. I went from being a full-time artist to needing to keep my art practice on a low flame due to raising my baby by myself after going through a divorce. Despite these difficulties, I continued studying and drawing part time.

After some years, I was able to continue part time studies at the Jerusalem Studio School. When my child was old enough to be left at home, I began traveling to one-month artist residencies, including to Greenland, Armenia, Canada, and Switzerland, where I searched for unique natural formations and historical sites where I could respond to the sites on canvas and paper.

Over the years I was also able to have several one-person shows and participate in group exhibitions on various themes. My recent notes to myself included the statement, “The best response to ageing is continuing to create.”

Curriculum

SOLO EXHIBITS
2022   “Muted Architectures,” Negev Artists’ House, Beersheva

2019   “Observations,” works on paper, Tel Aviv Artists’ House, Tel Aviv

2016   “Villa Deccan,” Intervention in the Nature Museum, Jerusalem

2014   “White Desert,” Jerusalem Artists House 

2012   Artist Wall at the Jerusalem Artists’ Studios, Talpiot, Jerusalem

2012   Open evening at the Upernavik Museum, Greenland

2000   “Wednesday Afternoon: A continuous portrait,” Jerusalem Artists House

1995   “Paintings,” Nophar Art, Tel Aviv

1977   “On the Road,” Modernage Photography Gallery, NYC

1977   “In Color,” Donnell Library Center, NYC

1976   “Portraits (B&W),” Modernage Photography Gallery, NYC

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITS
2024   Splinter from the storm, Bible Lands Museum, Jerusalem

2023   Imprinted on the body, New Social Space Ahad Haam, Jerusalem

2021   Private Domain, Agripas 12 Gallery, Jerusalem

2021   Deep space live broadcast, Hacubia Contemporary Art Gallery, Jerusalem

2020   Le Luci della Speranza, Ermanno Tedeschi Gallery, Torino

2020   “Salon of the Cubia,” Hacubia Contemporary Art Gallery, Jerusalem

2020   “Homage to Pesach Slabosky,” Koresh 14 Gallery, Jerusalem

2020   44 Degree Online Magazine, No. 44 – “Social Distancing”

2019   “Her Dress, Her Symbol,” Agripas 12 Gallery, Jerusalem (Catalog)

2019   Videos at Studio Teatr Galeria, Warsaw, “Film as Idea, Idea as Film”

2018   Festival of Erotic Art & Literature, Main & Station, Parrsboro NS, Canada

2017   “Salon of the Cubia” (2nd  Biennale of Israeli painting), Hacubia

2017   Parrsboro Film Festival, Nova Scotia, Canada. Short Shorts Category

2017   “Down_Shift: Slow down. Look. Listen. Observe,” HAYP Popup Gallery Yerevan, Armenia

2015   “In Motion,” HAYP Popup Gallery 4.0, installation/performance on the Yerevan-Gyumri intercity train, 4 days, Armenia

2007   “Art in the Street,” Bezalel/Schatz Pedestrian Mall, Jerusalem

2000   Etchings, Botanical Gardens, Givat Ram, Jerusalem

2000   33×33, Jerusalem Artists House (Catalog)

1996   New Members, Jerusalem Artists House

1995   Studio-Shelter, Municipal Gallery, Jerusalem

PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Several works are in private collections in the United States, Canada, and Israel.