Heads in a Colourful Landscape 1965

Karel Appel made these ‘Heads in a Colourful Landscape’ sometime in the 20th century, and it’s just bursting with energy, right? You can tell he’s not fussed about neatness; it’s all about the moment, the gesture. The colours are intense, like they’ve been squeezed straight from the tube. There’s this thick, black line snaking around what I guess are the heads, but it’s almost like they’re fighting to get out of those lines. Look at the bottom left corner, where the blue and green meet. It’s not blended, it’s just there, unapologetically raw. It reminds me that painting isn’t about perfection, it’s about process, about making marks and seeing where they take you. Appel’s work makes me think of Joan Miró, in that both artists share a childlike freedom and playful approach to form, and a sense that art is always in conversation with itself. Like a big, messy, beautiful conversation.