Skip to main content

Joseph Drapell Art

German, b. 1940
Joseph Drapell was born into the German- (and later Soviet-) occupied small town of Humpolec (near Prague) in 1940. His parents brought up their three boys not to believe in the official propaganda of the occupying regimes. Like the Czech novelist Milan Kundera, Drapell felt that life was elsewhere. Drapell escaped his birth country at his first opportunity at the age of twenty-five in order to develop his art in the free West. He landed in Halifax in 1966, grateful to Canada for accepting him. Drapell adopted an island (B-109) in Georgian Bay as his new spiritual home. The island has inspired (directly or indirectly) all his mature artistic developments to date. Drapell's aim was to contribute to the art of painting, rather than to merely make a living as an artist. Between 1968 and 1970, he studied under various visiting artists and lecturers at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. This is where he first started to develop his compression technique as a response to the paintings of Morris Louis. He settled in Toronto in 1970. Drapell walked the streets of New York with a roll of large paintings, until he was discovered by the Robert Elkon Gallery on Madison Avenue. After three exhibitions there (and several in Toronto where he was discovered by Jared Sable of the Dunkelman Gallery), Drapell achieved his first artistic breakthrough in 1974 with the Great Spirit Paintings. Joseph divides his time between Toronto and Georgian Bay (Lake Huron).
to
1
1
6
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
5
3
1
3
1
8
3
3
2
6
6
6
6
6
8
10,043
2,758
1,381
1,375
4
1
Artist: Joseph Drapell
"In Memory of Clement Greenberg" - colourful, impasto abstract acrylic on canvas
By Joseph Drapell
Located in Bloomfield, ON
An explosion of colour radiates from one side of the canvas in this extraordinary abstract painting dedicated to renowned NY art critic, Clement Greenberg. As a student, Joseph Drapell met and was influenced by Greenberg while studying at an American art school. This piece is rendered in thickly applied waves of shiny orange, purple, plum, white, and turquoise. Holographic materials are also used. The Czech-born artist creates remarkably vibrant paintings using trowels...
Category

1980s Abstract Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Heart 30/90 - unique, colourful, abstract, one off, framed monoprint
By Joseph Drapell
Located in Bloomfield, ON
As if emulating the rhythm of a beating heart, this compelling abstract print was created by the Czech born artist Joseph Drapell. Fine concentric circles in black emanate from the g...
Category

1980s Abstract Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Monoprint

Unique Print - bright, colourful, abstract, one of, framed monoprint
By Joseph Drapell
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This compelling singular signed print–one of a kind was created by the Czech born artist Joseph Drapell. The form is reminiscent of the popular sixties’ art game called Spirograph. B...
Category

Early 2000s Abstract Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Monoprint

Descent of Light - rich, dark, impasto, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas
By Joseph Drapell
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This deeply dramatic abstract painting is by the masterful Canadian expressionist Joseph Drapell. Thick layers of swirling paint in black with patches of red, green and turquoise are...
Category

1990s Abstract Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Flute - grey, white, green, brown, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas
By Joseph Drapell
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This grey, white, green, brown, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas painting is by Canadian artist Joseph Drapell. Fute is considered an important work as it debuted at the artist’s...
Category

1980s Abstract Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Equanimity - contemporary, impasto, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas
By Joseph Drapell
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This large colourful abstract painting is by Joseph Drapell. Joseph Drapell is considered as one of the most important painters of his generation, an artist who continues to explore new frontiers in painting techniques. In the 1990’s he was a founding member of a group of artists called the New New Painters who exhibited their avant garde work on the international stage. In this intense and provocative painting, a rainbow of bright colours swirls around the canvas. Gradations of orange, purple, pink, lime green, sky blue and white draw the viewer into the center of this abstract piece. The Czech-born artist creates remarkably vibrant compositions using trowels...
Category

Early 2000s Abstract Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Aarons Galaxy - rich, dark, impasto, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas
By Joseph Drapell
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Acrylic with rhinestones on canvas. A compelling and inventive abstract painter, Joseph Drapell’s stunning work has long been considered masterful by art critics and collectors alike. The Czech-born artist creates remarkably vibrant paintings using trowels...
Category

Early 2000s Abstract Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Danish Middle
By Joseph Drapell
Located in Austin, TX
Waterline Fine Art, Austin, TX is pleased to present the following work: Acrylic on canvas. Signed, titled, and dated on verso. 34.25 x 87.5 in. 36 x 89.5 in. (framed) Custom framed in in a natural cherry floater. Provenance Dunkelman Gallery, Toronto Born Josef Drapell in German-occupied territory near Prague in the present-day Czech Republic, his interest in art was piqued as a young boy growing up in a country that traded one occupier for the next. Czechoslovakia - under communist Soviet control following the war - would never allow Drapell to enjoy true freedom of artistic expression. He eventually fled his homeland, first stopping in Vienna, before ultimately settling in Canada in 1966. After a brief spell at the venerable Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI, Drapell returned to Canada in 1970, settling in Toronto - though he frequently traveled between the two countries in pursuit of exhibition opportunities in both Toronto and New York. Those opportunities arrived almost immediately, as he enjoyed solo exhibitions with both Robert Elkon Gallery in New York, and Dunkelman Gallery back home in Toronto. Drapell splits time between his homes in Toronto and Georgian Bay on Lake Huron...
Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Related Items
Mid-Century Modern Abstract Monotype Print
By Toma Yovanovich
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original mid century modern abstract expressionist monotype print by American artist Toma Yovanovich. Toma Yovanovich (1931-2016) Yovanovich was a painter/printmaker whos...
Category

1960s Abstract Geometric Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Monoprint, Monotype

Two Columns by Michael Hurson framed abstract with greco roman pillars on stage
By Michael Hurson
Located in New York, NY
In this unique Michael Hurson monotype, stylized Greco-Roman pillars flank a plane of crosshatched and dotted texture in black, brown, and purple ink. The...
Category

1980s Abstract Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Monoprint, Monotype

Japanese woman artist, one-of-a-kind framed original abstract monoprint in blue
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This is a one-of-a-kind original monoprint, made on a press by contemporary Japanese woman artist Kyoko Takagaki. Takagaki studied art at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, USA. ...
Category

2010s Abstract Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Monoprint

Urban Abstraction (ripped off posters) Italian Expressionist Painting on Canvas
By Andrea Spinelli
Located in Firenze, IT
The present work of art titled "Urban Abstraction (ripped off posters)" is part of a series of paintings that the artist composed in the 1980s and 1990s inspired by the observation of the urban reality of those years. The artist take the cue from his walks in Florence, both in the center and in the suburbs, and by the observation of billboards and posters scattered throughout the city. The mass of information, colors, messages and words were carried on the canvas with acrylic colors, ideally reconstructing the tears and overlaps of all the information and advertising contained on these huge sheets of paper that invade our cities. The geometric lines are overlaid with jagged lines, overlaps and color dripping and also the choice in the color palette, with different shades of white, gray, rose, orange red and blue helps in rendering the result of the tears and ripped paper. The result is a beautiful multicolored modern abstract canvas, both aesthetically and ethically, with many rich layers of color, texture and expression in which the artist leaves his own message. The painting is housed in a simple modern white lacquer wood frame. Andrea Spinelli...
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Expressionist Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Framed one-of-a kind botanical ink monoprint w/ collage & abstract yellow leaves
By Deirdre Murphy
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
"Joe Pye Weed" by Deirdre Murphy is a framed, one-of-a-kind monoprint with collage (chine collé - applied Japanese colored Gampi papers) in a range of lemon yellows on archival paper...
Category

2010s Abstract Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper, Monoprint

Mid-Century Modern Abstract Epxressionist Monotype Print
By Toma Yovanovich
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original mid century modern abstract expressionist monotype print by American artist Toma Yovanovich. Toma Yovanovich (1931-2016) Yovanovich was a painter/printmaker whose ...
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Monoprint, Monotype

Abstract B1
Located in San Juan, PR
CARLOS MERCADO ABSTRACT Inspired in the work of Franz and Ives Klein This body of work was produced during the initial months of the lock down due to the pandemic. This tragedy crea...
Category

2010s Abstract Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Abstract B1
Abstract B1
$18,000
H 60 in W 144 in D 2 in
Study of Lexicon
By RETNA
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Retna's art is critiqued as a unique, transcultural visual language blending calligraphy, graffiti, and hieroglyphs, offering a meditative, rhythmic experience that challenges viewer...
Category

2010s Abstract Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Enamel

Study of Lexicon
Study of Lexicon
$105,000
H 72 in W 60 in D 2 in
River In The Sea-Monroe Hodder, American, Abstract, Bold, Modern, sea, Blue, Oil
By Monroe Hodder
Located in Knowle Lane, Cranleigh
River In The Sea is an oil on canvas painting by American artist Monroe Hodder. Hodder’s abstract paintings are gloriously bold. Inspired by the urban backdrops of her life in New Yo...
Category

2010s Abstract Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

"Last Night in Times Square" Original Acrylic Mixed Media Painting
Located in New York, NY
About the Artwork: "Last Night in Times Square" pulsates with the dynamic essence of New York City, a vibrant portrayal capturing its unparalleled diversity. Through masterful strokes, the artist constructs a vivid mosaic of cultures, reflecting the world within this bustling metropolis. This acrylic masterpiece embodies the bustling energy of Times Square, infusing every corner with the electric hum of bright lights and frenetic activity. Whether one identifies as a true "New Yorker" or merely an intrigued observer, the painting invites all to immerse themselves in the sensory overload that defines this iconic locale. It's a jubilant ode to the richness and complexity of human experience, woven into the colorful fabric of urban life. The painting is unframed and will be professionally packaged and shipped in a secured tube. About the Artist: Bandji Fall...
Category

2010s Abstract Impressionist Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Back and Forth
By Diane Ayott
Located in Gloucester, MA
Diane Ayott’s abstractions on paper, canvas, and panel are luxuriously physical objects resulting from the accrual of layer after layer of paint, color, and pattern, launched by imag...
Category

2010s Abstract Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Back and Forth
Back and Forth
$6,400
H 32 in W 36 in
Blue Man with Fish
By Wyona Diskin
Located in Aramits, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Wyona Diskin, American (1915 - 1991) Blue Man with Fish Monoprint, Signed on the back lower left. Unframed. Signs of color remain from printing on the white ...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Monoprint

Previously Available Items
Lithe Movements - bright, colourful pastels, gestural abstract acrylic on canvas
By Joseph Drapell
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Pastel colours of luminous mauve and yellow acrylic are drawn, fan like swaths that fill the picture plane. This area is anchored at a lower centre point by passages of coral, mauve,...
Category

1980s Abstract Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Life Fulfilled - Psychedelic abstract with bright pinks, purples and blues
By Joseph Drapell
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This fantastically psychedelic abstract painting by Joseph Drapell is created with acrylic paint and holographic additives. Wave-like textures ripple through the pink, purple, and bl...
Category

1980s Contemporary Joseph Drapell Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Joseph Drapell art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Joseph Drapell art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue, orange, pink and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Joseph Drapell in acrylic paint, canvas, fabric and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Joseph Drapell art, so small editions measuring 16 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Konrad Cramer, Michael Conrads, and Adolphe Lechtenberg. Joseph Drapell art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,800 and tops out at $25,000, while the average work can sell for $18,000.

Artists Similar to Joseph Drapell

Still Thinking About These?

All Recently Viewed