Karel Appel, A Gesture of Colour/ Karel Appel, Un geste de couleur
Jean-François Lyotard (Author), Herman Parret (Editor), Vlad Ionescu (Translator), Peter W. Milne (Translator), Christine Buci-Glucksmann (),
Epilogue by Christine Buci-Glucksmann
Karel Appel. A Gesture of Colour is the first of a series of six volumes, bringing together the most important writings of Jean-François Lyotard (1924 – 1998) on contemporary art and artists. The book he devoted to the art of Karel Appel (1921 – 2006) is doubtlessly one of the most complete and inspired texts of all the writings included in the series. Neither the original French manuscript nor the English translation have ever been published, and their presentation face to face should constitute a considerable plus.
In this book, Lyotard presents Karel Appel’s “matterism” as an offer of presence, presence deferred – it is the visual where every predicate is suspended, the visual touched, “gesture” of colour more than property of colour, appearance at the edge of the abyss. Christine Buci-Glucksmann’s epilogue indicates the position of Karel Appel. A Gesture of Colour within the whole of Lyotard’s writings on art, considering equally the philosopher’s subsequent work.
Winner of the Plantin Moretus Prize 2010 for the best designed book in the category textbooks and academic publications
Photo Credits: Van Looveren & Princen
Herman Parret:
6 Préface /
15 Preface
Jean-François Lyotard:
22 Karel Appel. Un geste de couleur /
23 Karel Appel. A Gesture of Colour
Christine Buci-Glucksmann:
224 Postface /
237 Epilogue
250 Illustrations
Karel Appel: Un geste de couleur is the premier edition in a five volume series devoted to writings on contemporary artists by Jean-François Lyotard. This is the first French/English translation of the manuscript since originally being published in German in 1998, the year of Lyotard‟s death. The book is a sturdy, hard bound, bilingual edition with twenty-five small color plates at its close which are cited throughout the text.
The overall structure of Un geste de couleur is linear with each chapter narrating a step in the process of Lyotard‟s engagement with Appel‟s work. Graduate and undergraduate students familiar with either philosophy or art theory will recognize some of the terminology and concepts discussed however specialization is not a prerequisite. Lyotard contextualizes his ideas such as "before-shock" and "immateriality" within the body of the text resulting in a less formal tone when compared to his other writings. For an excellent summary of the book there is Christine Buci-Glucksman‟s epilogue. She encapsulates Lyotard‟s thought for those who struggle, but situates Un geste within a greater lineage of aesthetic discourse.
Matthew Mann, Library Associate/Exhibition Coordinator, Arts + Humanities Division, Art Libraries Society of North America, 2010
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "Karel Appel, A Gesture of Colour/ Karel Appel, Un geste de couleur" about?
Epilogue by Christine Buci-Glucksmann
Karel Appel. A Gesture of Colour is the first of a series of six volumes, bringing together the most important writings of Jean-François Lyotard (1924 - 1998) on contemporary art and artists. The book he devoted to the art of Karel Appel (1921 - 2006) is doubtlessly one of the most complete and inspired texts of all the writings included in the series. Neither the original French manuscript nor the English translation have ever been published, and their presentation face to face should constitute a considerable plus.
In this book, Lyotard presents Karel Appel's "matterism" as an offer of presence, presence deferred - it is the visual where every predicate is suspended, the visual touched, "gesture" of colour more than property of colour, appearance at the edge of the abyss. Christine Buci-Glucksmann's epilogue indicates the position of Karel Appel. A Gesture of Colour within the whole of Lyotard's writings on art, considering equally the philosopher's subsequent work.
Winner of the Plantin Moretus Prize 2010 for the best designed book in the category textbooks and academic publications
Photo Credits: Van Looveren & Princen
Who wrote "Karel Appel, A Gesture of Colour/ Karel Appel, Un geste de couleur"?
"Karel Appel, A Gesture of Colour/ Karel Appel, Un geste de couleur" was written by Jean-François Lyotard and Christine Buci-Glucksmann.
Who edited "Karel Appel, A Gesture of Colour/ Karel Appel, Un geste de couleur"?
"Karel Appel, A Gesture of Colour/ Karel Appel, Un geste de couleur" was edited by Herman Parret.
Herman Parret is Emeritus Professor of Aesthetics and Philosophy of Language at the Institute of Philosophy, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Hoger Instituut van Wijsbegeerte, KU Leuven
Who translated "Karel Appel, A Gesture of Colour/ Karel Appel, Un geste de couleur"?
"Karel Appel, A Gesture of Colour/ Karel Appel, Un geste de couleur" was translated by Vlad Ionescu and Peter W. Milne.
Is "Karel Appel, A Gesture of Colour/ Karel Appel, Un geste de couleur" part of a series?
Yes, "Karel Appel, A Gesture of Colour/ Karel Appel, Un geste de couleur" is part of the "J.F. Lyotard Writings on Contemporary Art and Artists" series. It's book 1 in the series.
The series Jean-François Lyotard: Ecrits sur l'art contemporain et les artistes / Writings on Contemporary Art and Artists consists of six volumes that offer a complete collection of all the writings by Lyotard concerning contemporary art and artists, some of which have been published only in German, French or English. Others, from Lyotard's personal archive, are being published here for the first time. Leuven's six volumes include the complete original French texts along with English translations on facing pages. The parallel presentation of both the French text and the English translation will introduce a wide English-speaking public to the intriguing manner in which Lyotard approached the artists and their work. Illustrations of the works discussed accompany the texts. All volumes include an introduction by Herman Parret and an epilogue by another Lyotard expert.
General Editor
Herman Parret (KU Leuven)
Associate Editors
Vlad Ionescu (KU Leuven), Peter W. Milne (Seoul National University)
In collaboration with
Christine Buci-Glucksmann (Université de Paris VIII), Geoffrey Bennington and Dalia Judovitz (Emory University, Atlanta), Jean-Michel Durafour (Université Paris-Est, Marne-la-Vallée), Dolorès Lyotard (Université du Littoral-Côte d’Opale), Gérald Sfez (Khâgne Lycée La Bruyère, Versailles), Sarah Wilson (Courtauld Institute, London)
_____
La série Jean-François Lyotard : Ecrits sur l'art contemporain et les artistes / Writings on Contemporary Art and Artists est constituée de six volumes offrant une collection complète des écrits de Lyotard concernant l'art contemporain et les artistes, dont certains n'ont fait l'objet d'une publication qu'en allemand, en français ou en anglais.
Jean-François Lyotard est très connu et plus particulièrement pour ses opinions sur la réflexion postmoderniste et son impact sur la société. Le langage philosophique spécifique de Lyotard reflète l'utilisation du langage d'une part et l'utilisation volontaire d'un style subtile en vue d'aborder des thèmes contemporains éthiques et spécifiques d'autre part. Ses essais, ses réflexions et ses impressions sur les artistes contemporains représentent une partie particulièrement intéressante de son œuvre.
La série Jean-François Lyotard : Ecrits sur l'art contemporain et les artistes / Writings on Contemporary Art and Artists est constituée de six volumes offrant une collection complète des écrits de Lyotard concernant l'art contemporain et les artistes, dont certains n'ont fait l'objet d'une publication qu'en allemand, en français ou en anglais. D'autres écrits, issus des archives personnelles de Lyotard, sont ici publiés pour la première fois. Les six volumes de Leuven comprennent les textes français originaux accompagnés d'une traduction anglaise en vis-à-vis. Cette présentation côte à côte des textes français et de leur traduction anglaise permettra d'initier un vaste public anglophone à la manière intrigante que Lyotard utilise pour approcher les artistes et leur travail. Les textes sont accompagnés d'illustrations des œuvres abordées. Les préfaces de tous les volumes sont écrites par H. Parrett et leurs épilogues par un autre expert de Lyotard.
Sous la direction de
Herman Parret (KU Leuven)
Rédacteurs adjoints
Vlad Ionescu (KU Leuven), Peter W. Milne (Seoul National University)
Avec la collaboration de
Christine Buci-Glucksmann (Université de Paris VIII), Geoffrey Bennington et Dalia Judovitz (Emory University, Atlanta), Jean-Michel Durafour (Université Paris-Est, Marne-la-Vallée), Dolorès Lyotard (Université du Littoral-Côte d’Opale), Gérald Sfez (Khâgne Lycée La Bruyère, Versailles), Sarah Wilson (Courtauld Institute, Londres)
What is the Table of Contents for "Karel Appel, A Gesture of Colour/ Karel Appel, Un geste de couleur"?
Herman Parret:
6 Préface /
15 Preface
Jean-François Lyotard:
22 Karel Appel. Un geste de couleur /
23 Karel Appel. A Gesture of Colour
Christine Buci-Glucksmann:
224 Postface /
237 Epilogue
250 Illustrations
Related titles
Collective Trauma and Future Fantasies
Raika Khorshidian (Editor), Birgit Mersmann (Editor), Cathrine Bublatzky (Editor), Julia Stenzel (Editor),
November 2026
Orality and Scribal Culture in the High Middle Ages
Timothy B. Noone (Author), Mark J. Clark (Author),
October 2026
Feminists Resisting Gendered Violence
Hemangini Gupta (Editor), Fiona Mackay (Editor), Jan Breckenridge (Editor), Louise Chappell (Editor), Rachna Mehra (Editor), Rukmini Sen (Editor), Mailin Suchting (Editor),
October 2026
A City in Practice
Aude Tournaye (Editor), Filip De Boeck (Editor), Picha Collective (Editor),
September 2026
Ecologies of Photography in the American West
Monica Bravo (Editor), Carolin Görgen (Editor),
September 2026
Summa (Quaestiones ordinariae) art. LXXIII – LXXV
Henry of Ghent (Author), Gordon Wilson (Editor), Juan Carlos Flores (Editor),
September 2026
Jean Katambayi Mukendi
Johannes Muselaers (Editor), Stéphane Symons (Editor), Anne-Claire Schmitz (Editor), Emma Enderby (Editor),
April 2026
Nomadic Camera
Burcu Dogramaci (Editor), Winfried Gerling (Editor), Jens Jäger (Editor), Birgit Mersmann (Editor),
March 2026
Thomas Aquinas and Hervaeus Natalis on Concepts and Intentional Objects
Fabrizio Amerini (Author),
February 2026
Entangled Art Histories
Valérie Mavridorakis (Editor), Alexander Streitberger (Editor), Hilde Van Gelder (Editor), Erik Verhagen (Editor),
October 2025
