Karl Korab - Buy or sell works
26 April 1937, Falkenstein (Austria)
Karl Korab is an Austrian painter and graphic artist who primarily attracted international renown for his landscape scenes and still lifes.
Born in Falkenstein, Lower Austria, in 1937 to a head forester, Korab expressed a desire to be an artist even while he was at school: painting and drawing were an outlet for him. His preferred subjects were landscapes, still lifes and portraits.
He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna between 1957 and 1964, under the direction of Sergius Pauser and Herbert Boeckl. During his training he became acquainted with representatives of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism (Ernst Fuchs and Anton Lemden), and temporarily took up their way of painting in the style of the Old Masters.
However, he began to develop his own style of painting from the mid-1960s onwards - far removed from illusions. His depictions of people became increasingly more abstract, and as time went on, he replaced them with masks. Korab expanded his artistic repertoire to include images of cities and machines. Korab signed a contract with a Geneva-based gallery run by Jan Krugier in 1971 – from then on, it was possible for him to show his work at international exhibitions. Korab set up a large studio in Sonnberg, Lower Austria. At the same time, the artist turned his attention to prints, and to screen printing, in particular. However, the pressure of commercialisation also had its darker sides - Korab got divorced in 1980, and his contract with the gallery was not renewed. After this, Korab moved his permanent place of residence to Sonnberg, where he was able to satisfy his craving for nature and freedom. From this point onwards, the topic of landscapes became ever more important for the artist. In addition, he discovered making collages from various materials, on the one hand, using paper, on the other, using ash, sand, wood, metal and canvas. After his second marriage, the newlyweds went on a grand voyage across Europe. In Ireland he produced a book with drawings and photographs, which met with great success.
Korab has received many awards for his artistic oeuvre, including the Grand Decoration of Honour for Services to the Region of Lower Austria in 2012. His works are now to be found in numerous collections in Austria and abroad.
Works by Karl Korab have enjoyed success at Dorotheum auctions for many years. On 2 June 2016, his painting “Profil” from 1977/78 sold for € 32,500 at a Contemporary Art auction.