Hip, Hip, Hoorah! 1949

Karel Appel made Hip, Hip, Hoorah! with paint on canvas, and right away it's clear he’s not after subtlety. Appel's work feels like a release, those thick, almost childlike figures are built from a kind of raw, energetic process. The paint is applied so directly, so viscerally, it's like you’re witnessing the act of creation itself. Look at the figure in the center, that burst of yellow in its belly, and how it contrasts with the surrounding red. It's a simple gesture, but it brings the whole painting to life. There is a kind of kinship with other artists obsessed with form and color, like Asger Jorn. But really, Appel is doing his own thing. He’s not trying to make something pretty or easily digestible. He’s embracing the mess, the chaos, the pure joy of making. And in the end, that’s what makes it so compelling.