Drawings To Kafka

Joav BarEl (also written Yoav Bar-El), (1933–1977) was an Israeli artist, critic, and lecturer. He was an influential figure in Israel's contemporary art scene during the 1960s and 70s. BarEl's early artistic practice was influenced by European abstract art. His range of works was broad and eclectic, encompassing expressionist oil paintings, a series of paintings and drawings on paper inspired by Franz Kafka’s stories (1958–1960), abstract stone and plaster reliefs, and zen-inspired ink drawings. Later in his career, between 1967 and 1970, BarEl produced acrylic paintings, collages, and photographic transfer works influenced by American pop art, using magazine photographs and advertisements as his source. In those paintings, BarEl used industrial spray paint and bright complementary colors. His painting Kennedy Assassination, 1968, was first shown at the "Political" exhibition organized by the 10+ Group in Tel Aviv and received critical responses due to its overtly political nature. It was later shown at the Israeli gallery Tempo Rubato (2014) and was included in the Tate Modern exhibition "The World Goes Pop" in 2015–2016. Alongside his artistic endeavors, BarEl was active as an art critic and lecturer and had a profound impact on future generations of Israeli artists. Joav BarEl died of heart disease in 1977, at the age of 44.