Descent of Light

About Descent of Light

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 highlighted by curated markings in yellow and white. Drapell is known for his innovative style and unique talent in creating emotive abstract work. He developed a compression technique using trowels, serrated blades and his fingers to add remarkable texture and depth to his paintings.

“My painting did not start with an agenda to return what art had lost in the postmodern period—not at all—instead it was my free, idealistic, non-conforming character that forced me to build myself without much concern for trends, for being “in”. It gave me the ability & willingness to be “out of sync.” Joseph Drapell

“Drapell incorporates personal history—and art history—into the work … it is based on deeper truths, bravely expressed.” Matthew Kyba, Artist

Joseph Drapell was born in Czechoslovakia in 1940. He emigrated to Canada in the mid-1960s in search of Western freedom. Drapell studied art at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. Inspired by the abstract paintings of Morris Louis, he experimented with different techniques to apply wide swaths of paint in thick layers. In the 1990’s he was a founding member of a group of artists called the New New Painters devoted to exhibiting advanced art internationally. Drapell is a member of the Royal Academy of Art.

His works are held in national and international collections—both private and public including the Guggenheim, the British Museum, the National Gallery in Prague, and others. The artist divides his time between Toronto and a beloved island retreat in Georgian Bay.