24 June Symposium: New perspectives on Karel Appel's use of materials and technique
Activities data
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- Coert, Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam
I just mess around
, Karel Appel said in an interview with Jan Vrijman in 1955. A few years later Vrijman made the documentary The Reality of Karel Appel
, which documents Karel Appel as he slashes and stabs at the canvas with great colorful globs of paint. It created the image of an artist who works spontaneously and purely from impulses. But is this the case?
Recent research into his working method and use of materials shows the opposite. There has been a change in the appreciation of his work. There is a renewed interest in Appel among young – mostly American – artists. On June 24, the work of Karel Appel will be central during the international symposium "Dispelling the Myth of 'Just Messing Around': New perspectives on Karel Appel’s use of materials and technique." Various experts shed light on his work, his use of paint and his painting technique and also discuss issues surrounding the conservation of his work.
Presenters
The list of presenters include:
- Joan Banach - artist, Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship for Painting
- Klaas Jan van den Berg - Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands | Rijkdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE) / University of Amsterdam
- Ida A. T. Bronken - National Museum, Oslo
- Juliette Evezard - Université Jean Monnet Saint- Étienne
- Fahed Ibrahim - RCE
- Franz W. Kaiser - Karel Appel Foundation
- Hanspeter Marty - Kunsthaus Zürich
- Antonien Rijksen - Karel Appel Foundation
- Louise Wijnberg - conservator
For who?
The symposium – intended for art historians, researchers, conservators, restorers, among others - is a co-production of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Karel Appel Foundation and the RCE. It is part of the RCE's Heritage of the 20th Century research program, which focuses on the conservation and restoration of modern works of art.
Registration
Register on the website of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. Detailed information, including costs and the programme can be found on their website as well.
Program
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 09.30 | Walk-in |
| 10.00 | Welcome by Ina Klaassen |
| 10.10 | ‘I start from my basic material – paint’. An introduction to the symposium Klaas Jan van den Berg |
| 10.40 | ‘Spontaneity’ as a common thread of the international avant-garde of the 1950s – origins, meaning and consequences for the conservation of paintings Franz Kaiser |
| 11.15 | Composing Images. Karel Appel’s use of drawings in the making of his paintings Antonien Rijksen |
| 11.40 | Establishing pieces of the material practices of Karel Appel. Investigation into soft oil paint from his Paris period, and critical issues on their future care Ida Bronken |
| 12.00 | Lunch (included) |
| 14.00 | The elusive Karel Appel Juliette Evezard |
| 14.25 | A closer look at the paintings of Karel Appel in the collection of the Boijmans Van Beuningen: The materials and painting techniques Louise Wijnberg |
| 14.50 | Notes on the materials’ use of Karel Appel in his paintings. House paints vs ‘high quality‘ artists’ paints Fahed Ibrahim |
| 15.15 | Break |
| 15.45 | Observations on painting technique Hanspeter Marty |
| 16.10 | Interview: Franz Kaiser, Joan Banach, Hans Peter Marty & Louis Wijnberg |
| 16.30 | Discussion |
| 17.00 | Drinks |
The symposium will be moderated by Sandra Kisters & Klaas Jan van den Berg.