Abstract artist Karel Appel, a founder of COBRA art group, dies at 85
deb...@comcast.net
Zurich Canadian Press
Published: Friday, May 05, 2006
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - Karel Appel, a founder of the influential
COBRA art group known for its spontaneous expressionism, has died at
his home in Zurich, Switzerland, Dutch media reported Friday. He was
85.
The circumstances of his death on Wednesday were not immediately known,
but he was reported to have suffered from a heart ailment. Appel was
born April 25, 1921, in Amsterdam, and had his first solo exhibition in
the northern Dutch town of Groningen at age 25.
Influenced by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, he joined a group of
artists called the Dutch Experimental Group, then linked up in 1949
with Danish and Belgian artists to form COBRA - the name was drawn from
the cities of Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam.
The group later exhibited in Paris, alongside artists like Jackson
Pollock and Willem de Kooning.
Appel's work appeared in the world's largest museums of modern art, but
his murals also decorated restaurants and cafeterias in public and
private buildings in the Netherlands and around the world.
Appel left the Netherlands in 1950 and then lived in France, Mexico,
Italy, the United States and Switzerland.
In the 1950s, he became involved with jazz musicians and painted the
portraits of Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Count Basie and Sarah
Vaughn.
Funeral arrangements were not immediately available.
Rick B.
creator of the "world's largest book?" I seem to remember it was a
series of paintings on plexiglass panels, bound together in some
manner...
Bill Schenley
> group known for its spontaneous expressionism, has
> died at his home in Zurich, Switzerland, Dutch media
> reported Friday. He was 85.
Photo:
http://www.e-fineart.com/images_resoures/appel.gif
Art:
http://www.lentos.at/img/Appel_1133_l.jpg
http://www.artmulti.se/Appel%20Cat%20red1.jpg
http://img1.artprice.com/img/classifieds/xl/66/66715_1.jpg
http://img1.artprice.com/img/classifieds/xl/66/66715_1.jpg
http://www.woostercollective.com/images/karel-appel.jpg
http://www.artmagazine.cc/images/appelMarketSquare_b.jpg
http://www.godkunst.dk/karel%20appel%20paperweight.jpg
http://www.exporevue.com/images/magazine/1797karel_appel.jpg
Hyfler/Rosner
"Bill Schenley" <stra...@ma.rr.com> wrote in message
news:S_P6g.26004$mh.2...@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com...
>> Karel Appel, a founder of the influential COBRA art
>> group known for its spontaneous expressionism, has
>> died at his home in Zurich, Switzerland, Dutch media
>> reported Friday. He was 85.
I saw an amazing show of the COBRA artists a few years ago
while on holiday in Dublin. Had never heard of any of them.
The best kind of art show to happen upon.
http://www.absolutearts.com/artsnews/2003/07/04/31181.html
robertc...@yahoo.com
> Abstract artist Karel Appel, a founder of COBRA art group, dies in
> Zurich Canadian Press
> Published: Friday, May 05, 2006
>
> AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - Karel Appel, a founder of the influential
> COBRA art group known for its spontaneous expressionism, has died at
> his home in Zurich, Switzerland, Dutch media reported Friday. He was
> 85.
>
> The circumstances of his death on Wednesday were not immediately known,
> but he was reported to have suffered from a heart ailment. Appel was
> born April 25, 1921, in Amsterdam, and had his first solo exhibition in
> the northern Dutch town of Groningen at age 25.
>
This is not a comment about Mr. Appel or the Cobra movement, but about
abstract expressionism. Until a few years ago, I had seen the work of
abstract expressionists like Jackson Pollack only in reproductions. I
thought the work hideous, more like the tiles on my kitchen floor than
anything I was willing to call art. I was mistaken. Some artists' work
transfers fairly well in reproduction, and I was making my judgment
based on this alone. But I have found it not to be true of abstract
expression. One has to be in front of the real canvas to appreciate
the beauty and intricacy of the work of arts like Pollack. The work
simply doesn't communicate in the "flat" style of posters, book
reproductions, and Internet images.
I went to an exhibit of abstract expressionists with a groan, because a
friend insisted on it. I have seldom had my eyes opened so thoroughly
as at that exhibit.
Hyfler/Rosner
I know just what you mean.
I went to see the big retrospective of Joan Mitchell at the
Whitney a few years ago with a couple of friends, and when
we entered the exhibition, we all gasped. You just had to
see them live. They were big, loud and absolutely
beautiful.
Just to give you an idea:
http://www.artnet.com/magazine/reviews/robinson/Images/robinson6-28-10.jpg
aka Bob
<jcm113...@bellsouth.net> magnanimously proffered:
>On Sat, 06 May 2006 00:34:53 -0400, MGW <mgw...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>On 5 May 2006 18:23:28 -0700, robertc...@yahoo.com scrawled:
>>
>>> This is not a comment about Mr. Appel or the Cobra movement, but about
>>> abstract expressionism. Until a few years ago, I had seen the work of
>>> abstract expressionists like Jackson Pollack only in reproductions. I
>>> thought the work hideous, more like the tiles on my kitchen floor than
>>> anything I was willing to call art. I was mistaken. Some artists' work
>>> transfers fairly well in reproduction, and I was making my judgment
>>> based on this alone. But I have found it not to be true of abstract
>>> expression. One has to be in front of the real canvas to appreciate
>>> the beauty and intricacy of the work of arts like Pollack. The work
>>> simply doesn't communicate in the "flat" style of posters, book
>>> reproductions, and Internet images.
>>
>>It's not just true about abstract expressionism. I had the same
>>reaction the first time I saw Van Gogh's works in person. The impact
>>was astounding.
>
>I was gonna bring him up. I had seen reproductions of "Starry Night", which is
>my favorite, many times and was blown away by the original at the Museum of
>Modern Art in NYC. As well as some others in Boston.
I first saw some of Van Gogh's work when an exhibition of
impressionist paintings toured NZ. Like you, I was blown away. But I
was literally stunned when I finally visited the Van Gogh museum in
Amsterdam and saw so many originals at once.But it was "Starry Night"
that really had me reeling - so much so that one of the guards was
quite concerned.
My wife and I returned several times during our time in the
Netherlands and Belgium. I very much hope I get another opportunity to
visit again, but I'll make sure "Starry Night" isn't on loan and
somewhere else when I do.
"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen
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