Karel Appel (1921-2006) was an important contributor / sddisruptor in the evolution of 20th-century abstraction and one of the founders of the COBRA movement.

Appel grew up in Amsterdam and was influenced by avant-garde masters such as Pablo Picasso and Jean Dubuffet. Their influences are visible in Appel’s creations throughout his career.

In 1948, Appel, along with fellow artists (living and working in Copenhagen, Brussels, and Amsterdam) founded the expressionist collective, CoBrA, based on the names of the three cities. COBRA members were inspired by folk art, the spontaneity of children, and primitivism. Because of their use of bright colors and expressive brushstrokes, COBRA is sometimes considered as a precursor to the American abstract expressionist movement.

Appel's work was generally rejected in Holland, leading the artist to relocate to Denmark where he was embraced with enthusiasm. However, shortly after he would move to Paris and befriend the leading abstract artists including Jean-Paul Riopelle and .

Such relationships would inform approach and aesthetic. He applied paint directly from the tube, often thickening it with other materials, and retained the form of the brushstroke in his compositions. 

While COBRA dissolved in 1951, the succeeding years proved critically and financially successful for Appel. The artist was widely exhibited in Europe and beyond: he was included in the 1953 exhibit “Young European Painters” at the Guggenheim in New York, showed at the 1954 Venice Biennale (winning the UNESCO award), and in 1964, exhibited at Documenta III in Kassel. 

Created in 1980, this book features two hand-drawn portraits, one on either side of the  cover. The subjects are brought to life with bold, vigorous line-work and an electric palette, capturing them with the raw, kinetic intensity characteristic of Appel's distinct style. It is worth mentioning that these portraits are arguably precursors to some of the figurative graffiti-inspired that dominated the New York art world in the early 1980's. 

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"Untitled"

1980 

Mixed-media on linen book cover

Signed and dated 1980 by the artist on the book spine

15.5"H 1.5"D 12"W

Very good condition 

Work comes with a sturdy acrylic sleeve.