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19 years old Constant studied in 1939 at the School of Art and Industry.
From 1940 until 1942 he studied at the Rijksacademie. His style was mostly
impressionistic and, for the time being, the greatest source of inspiration
was Cézanne.
Influenzed by the cubism of Picasso he changed ways of expressions in
1944 and from then his paintings became more and more abstract.
In 1946 Constant traveled to Paris where he met Asger Jorn. Jorn told
him about the danish group of artists involved in Høst (an exhibition
group) and the following years they often corresponded. Both were occupied
by the idea of making an international group of artists and Constant was
very exited about the group Høst.
In 1948 Constant is the most active person in founding a group like Høst
in Holland called Nederlandse Experimentele Group, also known as Reflex
from the periodical the group published twice. A few months later he founded
Cobra in Paris together with Jorn, Dotremont, Karel Appel, Corneille and
Noiret.
During Cobra time his paintings was characterized by the imaginative drawing
of children, but post-Cobra he started painting more and more abstract
and gradually he added surrealistic and cubic elements to his paintings
that often depicts the strifes and injustice of the world. Slowly however
he gives up painting. Concerned about the relationship between art and
society, Constant becomes more and more occupied with his visionary city-project
New Babylon where both art and society meets in the architecture.
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