Little Moon Men 1946

Karel Appel created this evocative oil painting with rough brushstrokes in an all-encompassing palette of blue. I wonder what Appel was thinking, layering these otherworldly characters with their bold outlines and enigmatic stares? He was part of the CoBrA group after the second world war, and this feels like those guys– raw, intuitive, and deeply connected to the subconscious. You can see the emotional intensity in the texture and the way the figures emerge from the heavy impasto. I can feel him trying to create new symbols, new myths, or to recall some ancient dream or primordial memory. It reminds me of de Kooning, too, in the way Appel doesn't quite resolve the figures, choosing instead to keep that feeling of searching. Like he's channeling something ancient and trying to bring it into the present. It's a reminder that painting is an ongoing conversation, and we are all just adding our voices to the chorus.