Having spent the first two decades of his life under the oppressive regimes of Hitler and Stalin, Joseph Drapell became determined to escape Prague at the first opportunity and pursue his artistic vision in the West—a goal he achieved in 1965.
Joseph Drapell (b. 1940, Humpolec, Czech Republic) is a pioneering abstract painter whose bold, large-scale works are held in major public and private collections internationally, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. After escaping Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia, Drapell immigrated to Canada in 1966, where he developed a radically individual technique of paint application using a broad spreading device. This innovation—combined with influences from Jack Bush, Morris Louis, and Clement Greenberg—positioned Drapell as a key figure in the generation following Painters Eleven.
A founding member of the New New Painters, Drapell helped redefine abstraction in North America through experimental use of gel mediums, iridescent pigments, and a spiritually charged visual language rooted in nature. For collectors, his work represents both a vital link to the evolution of postwar abstraction and a singular vision that resists trends in favour of enduring visual power and authenticity.
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Joseph Drapell. Above Loss, Beyond Desire, 1992 acrylic on canvas stretched on plywood 72" x 113.5" POR
Joseph Drapell. French Revolution, 1984 acrylic on canvas 95" x 95" POR
Joseph Drapell. Storm Approaching, 1992 acrylic on canvas 59" x 52" POR
Joseph Drapell. Far Greater Than Presence, 1990 acrylic on canvas 38" x 93" POR
Joseph Drapell. Endless Consolation, 1976 acrylic on canvas 58" x 132" POR