Karel Appel Biography, Artworks
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APPEL, Karel (April 25, 1921–May 3, 2006)
Born in Amsterdam, where he attended classes at the Art Academy, then worked on alone. Early influences: Impressionism, Picasso, the painters of the School of Paris, the primitive arts. Took part in a collective exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, in 1946. First one-man show the same year at the Beernhuis, Groningen; another in 1947 at the Het Gildehuis Gallery, Amsterdam. Founder member in 1948 of the Dutch experimental group, which in 1949 merged with the Cobra group (Copenhagen-Brussels-Amsterdam). He also contributed to the magazine Reflex. Exhibited in 1949 with the Cobra group at Copenhagen and at the first international exhibition of experimental art in Amsterdam. Did a decorative painting that same year for the Amsterdam Town Hall. In 1950 he settled in Paris, where in 1951 he exhibited with the Cobra group at the Librairie 73 and took part in the exhibition "Signifiants de I'Informel" organized by Michel Tapié at the Galerie Facchetti; also took part in the second international exhibition of experimental art at Liège. Executed a mural decoration for the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam; further decorations for the same museum in 1956 and for the Gymnasium at The Hague. Did decorative work in 1958 for the new Unesco building in Paris and for the Dutch Pavilion at the Brussels World's Fair. Awarded the Unesco Prize at the 1954 Venice Biennale. In 1956 he produced a series of large, vehemently handled portraits. One-man shows in Amsterdam (Galerie Van Lier, 1951), Rotterdam (Galerie Venster, 1952), Brussels (Palais des Beaux-Arts, 1953), Paris (Galerie Facchetti, 1954; Galerie Rive Droite, 1955, 1956, 1960; Galerie Stadler, 1957), Amsterdam (Stedelijk Museum, 1955, 1959), Milan (Galleria dell'Ariete, 1956), Rome (La Tartaruga, 1957), Zurich (Galerie Lienhard, 1959). Participated in the exhibition "Un Art Autre" organized by Michel Tapié ( Paris, 1952), the Salon de Mai ( Paris, 1952, 1957), the Pittsburgh International ( 1952), the Sao Paulo Bienal ( 1953, 1959), the Venice Biennale ( 1954), Europa Kunst ( Copenhagen, 1954), Younger European Painters, New York ( 1953), Carattere della Pittura d'Oggi ( Rome, 1954), the Milan Triennale ( 1954), Junge Kunst aus Holland ( Kunsthalle, Bern, 1956), Un Art Autre ( Barcelona, 1957, then Tokyo), Documenta ll ( Kassel, 1959), and Vitalità nell'Arte ( Venice, 1959).
Bibliography:
S. S. Vskuil, Karel Appel, in Zitschrift Kroniek van Kunst en Kultur, 1949. -- C. Dotremont, Par la grande porte and Les artistes libres, in Cobra, 1950. -H. L. C. Jaffé, Karel Appel, in The Studio, 1952. -P. Bowles, Karel Appel, in Holiday, 1953. -- J. Fitzsimmons , Karel Appel, in Art Digest, 1953. -Dr Brökk-Pernedy, Karel Appel, in Les Beaux-Arts, 1953. -- C. Dotremont, Karel Appel, in Les Beaux-Arts, 1953. -- D. Ashton, Karel Appel, in Art Digest, 1954. -M. Tapié, Karel Appel, United States Lines, Paris 1954. -- J. Alvard, Karel Appel, in Cimaise, 1954. -M. Tapié, Karel Appel, in Cimaise, 1954. -- J. Stahly, Karel Appel, in Werk, 1954. -- K. B. Sawyer, Karel Appel, in The New York Herald Tribune, 1954. -Vogue, 1954, special issue devoted to Appel, with photos and color plates. -- C. Dolman, Karel Appel, L'aventure de la sensation extasiée, in Quadrum, No. 3, 1957. -- M. Tapié, E. Looken, H. Claus, Presentation of the Exhibition at the Galerie Rive Droite, Paris 1955. -- M. Moreni, Presentation of the Exhibition at the Galerie Stadler, Paris 1957. -- H. Neuburg, Presentation of the Exhibition at the Galerie Lienhard, Zurich 1959.
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