Harriet de Visser and Roland Hagenberg, “Karel Appel: The Complete Sculpture 1936–1990”, New York, 1990, no. 78–009
Donald Kuspit, “Karel Appel Sculpture: A Catalogue Raisonné”, New York, 1994, pages 60–65
The Dutch artist Karel Appel was a prominent member of the CoBrA group of artists who introduced primitive, folkloric and mythical elements into their art. Interestingly, these artists frequently consulted with their own children for decorative input for their work since they were attempting to recreate the childlike pleasure of making art by remaining unrestrained when it came to notions of colour, application, material, and process.
Throughout his career, Appel drew inspiration from the circus and its colourful performers. In describing Appel’s love of the circus and clowns, Donald Kuspit writes: “Appel once said he would have been a clown if he hadn’t become an artist, but of course, to be an artist is to be kind of a clown.” In this work from the 1970s he has depicted a circus clown playing a musical instrument, the performer who wears funny clothes and makeup and who must attempt to make people-especially children-laugh. In the construction of “Amsterdam Clown”, Appel used his customary bold, bright colours and primitive childlike shapes as found in his other works.
Constructed in two sections-the main body and the horn-Appel has translated his achievements in painting into a three–dimensional form. The circus would remain an enduring subject matter for the artist, culminating in the “Circus Suite” of wooden performers, also produced as a suite of colour lithographs.
