Informal Art

Informal Art – Freedom in Expression
Informal art (Art informel in French) is a collective term for a variety of new art styles that emerged within abstract art during the 1940s and 1950s, with Paris as the creative hub. Its American counterpart, abstract expressionism, is often considered a parallel movement and is sometimes used synonymously with informal art.
Crafoord Auctions Stockholm presents approximately thirty works by artists such as Henri Michaux, Wols, Jean Fautrier, Hans Hartung, Antoni Tàpies, Ulf Trotzig, Staffan Nihlén, Georg Suttner, and Eddie Figge.
Informal art is an artistic movement that defies conventional rules and structures, focusing instead on spontaneous, intuitive, and emotional expression. It emerged in the mid-20th century as a response to the trauma of World War II. This art form allows the artist to create without predetermined frameworks, offering room for a personal and unrestricted interpretation of the world. Informal art invites the viewer to complete the work.
Some prominent practitioners of the movement include Dubuffet, Fautrier, Michaux, Soulages, Poliakoff, Vieira da Silva, and Wols, while in America, Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Mark Rothko were key figures.
Swedish artists, led by Rune Jansson, Eddie Figge, Ulf Trotzig, and C.O. Hultén, were also influenced by this international direction, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s. Lesser-known names like Gösta Lindqvist (featured in the themed image), Gunnar Johnsson, and Staffan Nihlén are also represented. Nihlén shared a studio with the internationally renowned artist Cy Twombly in Italy during the 1960s. The auction includes two fascinating paintings by Nihlén from this period.
A significant venue for informal art in Sweden was Galerie Blanche in Stockholm.
Rather than adhering to traditional techniques or realistic forms, informal art experiments with textures, materials, and colors. The paintings are often abstract, emphasizing the raw and unpredictable. Sometimes, the creation feels like a dialogue between the artist and the materials—brushstrokes, splashes of paint, and surfaces carry an energy that captures the emotion of the moment.
Informal art is about letting intuition lead the way. It’s an art form that breaks down barriers and challenges the viewer to look beyond the obvious. Often described as a celebration of the human, the imperfect, and the authentic, it played a significant role in the development of modern art and continues to inspire artists today.