Dutch artist, sculptor and ceramist Karel Appel (1921–2006) trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam and was from the outset one of the leading figures of the CoBrA movement. He adhered to the same principles of spontaneity, abstraction and expressive style, and came to be a living symbol of CoBrA – and as a working-class rebel. Appel’s wildness in the artistic creation process was fundamental. There is a rawness to his art that continues to fascinate art collectors around the world to this day.
Children’s Drawings and Paintings of Happy Monsters
Appel sought freedom in his art, and in the mid-1940s, he developed his characteristic, fabulous depictions of people, animals and creatures – all with grotesque expressions, large heads and childishly wide-open eyes. In his quest to avoid the discipline, rules and awareness of adulthood in his art, he drew inspiration from a universe of children’s drawings – a spontaneous and naive form of expression that was pervasive throughout his production. A major work in Appel’s production is his colossal and colourful mural at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.
Nudes, Caricatures and Assemblages
Appel also experimented with nude studies, caricatured portraits and various artistic media such as assemblages and sculptures formed from wood or waste. More often than not, he let the impulses of his mood control the content of a work, the execution itself becoming an almost physical act. Speaking about his working method, Appel said: “When I paint, I don't feel. I paint only with my hands, let them seek for me (…) I work spontaneously, without engaging my brain”.