Antoni Clavé / James Coignard

Catalan native Antoni Clavé was considered one of the most important Spanish artists of the 20th century during the postwar era. Residing in France after 1939, his art was built on artisanal craftsmanship and a notable delight in experimentation with the application and combination of various techniques – including painting, drawing, collage and print graphics. During the 1950s his creations, which veered ever more towards the non-figurative, were highly esteemed in France. It was also during this time that Karl Im Obersteg developed a late love of the Spaniard’s painting, which was strongly defined by color.

In the Im Obersteg Collection Clavé is afforded astonishingly prominent representation, with seven paintings, a delicate sculpture made of lead, and seven small-format works on paper.

James Coignard (1925-2008) was a great admirer of artists Matisse, Braque and Chagall and first of all dedicated himself to color. The Im Obersteg collection owns six paintings of this artist. Four of them are later works which show a new interest in different materials and are close to Art Informel.