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[AMSTELVEEN, Holland] Was lucky enough on a summer art sabbatical to Europe and the Middle East to visit the Cobra Museum, home of contemporary work by artists of the COBRA movement (from Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam). Karel Appel is a favorite, so I was excited to be able to visit and learn more about this movement. A few highlights of the exhibits, and the facilities, can be found at my Flickr photo album.

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From the exhibit signage:

“The biggest source of inspiration for the Cobra artists were children’s drawings and the art of early cultures, in which the doing of something, or process, was more important than the final result. In this way, the artists established themselves in direct opposition to art theory.

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“The group grew quickly. Adherents of Cobra thought included not only painters, but sculptors and word-artists. And people worked together on projects; poetry was illustrated and walls were painted.

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“After the war, Cobra art was ridiculed as being scrawled and bungled. The artists themselves were not very bothered about the criticism. They were eager to work from their feelings, and in ways that would appeal to their imaginations: directly, spontaneously, and childishly. This process gave rise to the fundamental building blocks of Cobra art: direct and spontaneous painting, bright colours, and characteristic subject matter, particularly the bird (as a symbol of freedom), the mask, and the cat.”

Click below to visit my Flickr album with a few highlights of art and interiors from the museum: