Karel Appel (1921-2006) - Tantrika II





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Tantrika II, a hand-signed lithograph on vélin paper from France, Cobra style, edition 37/75 of a limited edition, 1988, 76 × 56 cm, in good condition, sold by Galerie with a certificate of authenticity.
Description from the seller
Technique: Lithography
Support: Vellum paper
Numbering: 37/75
Signature: Hand-signed
Dimensions: 76x56 cm
Condition: Good condition
Authentication: Sold with the gallery's certificate of authenticity.
Information about the work:
Tantrika I and Tantrika II are two portfolios produced by Karel Appel in collaboration with the Scottish poet Kenneth White, published in Paris in the 1980s by Éditions F.B..
Each set gathers five color original lithographs and poetic texts signed by Kenneth White. The prints are limited to about 75 copies.
The title Tantrika refers to the idea of energy, the circulation of vital forces, and the connection between man, nature, and the cosmos. This vision aligns with Kenneth White's geopoetic thought, which seeks to reconnect the human being with the great outdoors, landscapes, and the fundamental rhythms of the world.
For Appel, this series marks a mature phase. The explosive energy inherited from Cobra remains present, but it is organized into more open compositions where birds, faces, hybrid creatures, and organic forms float, bathed in intense colors.
The historical interest of these portfolios lies in the meeting between two major figures: Karel Appel, heir to Cobra, and Kenneth White, founder of geopoetics. Together, they produce a work where painting and poetry pursue the same objective: to translate the deep forces that traverse the living.
For a collector, Tantrika I and II rank among the most intellectually ambitious collaborations of Appel's graphic work. They occupy a more confidential place than his standalone lithographs, but possess a particularly rich cultural and symbolic depth.
Seller's Story
Technique: Lithography
Support: Vellum paper
Numbering: 37/75
Signature: Hand-signed
Dimensions: 76x56 cm
Condition: Good condition
Authentication: Sold with the gallery's certificate of authenticity.
Information about the work:
Tantrika I and Tantrika II are two portfolios produced by Karel Appel in collaboration with the Scottish poet Kenneth White, published in Paris in the 1980s by Éditions F.B..
Each set gathers five color original lithographs and poetic texts signed by Kenneth White. The prints are limited to about 75 copies.
The title Tantrika refers to the idea of energy, the circulation of vital forces, and the connection between man, nature, and the cosmos. This vision aligns with Kenneth White's geopoetic thought, which seeks to reconnect the human being with the great outdoors, landscapes, and the fundamental rhythms of the world.
For Appel, this series marks a mature phase. The explosive energy inherited from Cobra remains present, but it is organized into more open compositions where birds, faces, hybrid creatures, and organic forms float, bathed in intense colors.
The historical interest of these portfolios lies in the meeting between two major figures: Karel Appel, heir to Cobra, and Kenneth White, founder of geopoetics. Together, they produce a work where painting and poetry pursue the same objective: to translate the deep forces that traverse the living.
For a collector, Tantrika I and II rank among the most intellectually ambitious collaborations of Appel's graphic work. They occupy a more confidential place than his standalone lithographs, but possess a particularly rich cultural and symbolic depth.

