Karel Appel

Martha Jackson Gallery, New York in 1964
Galerie Nova Spectra, The Hague
Sale: Christie's, Amsterdam, The Cobra Movement, 22-23 May 1990, lot 420
Galleri Stora Kovik, Gustavsberg
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 1990

Iceland, Listasafn Islands, National Gallery of Iceland, Karel Appel, 2-24 June 1984, no. 7

P. Restany, A. Ginsberg, Karel Appel, Street Art, Ceramics, Sculpture, Woodreliefs, Tapestries, Murals, Villa el Salvador, Amsterdam 1985, p. 63, no 51, illustrated in colour

Colours: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate although the overall tonality is more intense and warmer in the original. Condition: Very minor surface dirt. In excellent condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

"Why not try to make a new world for others with at least a part of what is thrown away ? That's the idea behind what I call Street Art". So says Karel Appel in an interview with Frédéric de Towarnicki, included in this exuberant celebration of the Dutch artist's thirty-five years of multimedia creativity. Inspired by treasures found in the streets of Amsterdam, Paris and New York, Appel has created sculptures, ceramics, tapestries, murals and assemblages he calls Street Art. His "new world" is filled with the most marvellous of beings - birds, beasts, figures and flowers - bursting with life and vibrating with colour. According to Appel:  "I'm obsessed by the wish to combine all these objects and transform them into a new, sensual, unexpected, unusual, perhaps even truly extraordinary language. I have no rules, but rather a sort of radar".

(from: Pierre Restany and Allen Ginsberg, Karel Appel-street art, ceramics, sculptures, wood reliefs, tapestries, murals, villa El Salvador, New York 1985).