Amorous Dance 1955

Karel Appel made this painting, 'Amorous Dance,' using oil paint, I think, in 1955. You can see him dancing with the paint, smearing and swirling it. The colors are brash – reds, blues, yellows – all fighting for attention. I imagine Appel in his studio, maybe a little messy, definitely energized. He's slapping paint onto the canvas, not worrying too much about getting it 'right'. It’s like he’s trying to capture a feeling, a raw, primal energy. There's one red streak, like a lightning bolt, cutting through the middle. It feels urgent, like a scream or a shout. Appel was part of the COBRA group, right? Those guys were all about spontaneous expression, channeling something from deep inside. You can feel that energy, that freedom, in every stroke. He’s in conversation with other painters, like the Abstract Expressionists in the US, but he's also doing his own thing, pushing the boundaries. It's this ongoing exchange that keeps art alive, you know?