Michael Kessler — Biography & CV

Biography

About Contemporary Abstract Artist Michael Kessler

Michael Kessler (b. 1954, Hanover, Pennsylvania) is an acclaimed American artist known for his nature-based abstract paintings. Currently living and working in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kessler draws profound inspiration from the diverse environments he has experienced—from the wooded farmlands of his youth in Pennsylvania to the expansive desert landscapes of the Southwest and the rhythmic textures of the sea.

Holding a B.F.A. from Kutztown University, Kessler has spent over three decades developing a visual lexicon that explores the inner dynamics of the natural world. By focusing on the integration of organic and geometric forms, his artwork speaks not of dichotomy, but of harmony and connection.

Artistic Technique: The Intersection of Gesture and Geometry

Kessler’s creative process is an organic evolution, driven by a deep curiosity about how and why nature looks the way it does. His signature style bridges the continuum between structured geometry and biomorphic fluidity, creating a balanced tension he compares to a painterly "tai chi."

To capture the essence of natural processes like sedimentation and erosion, Kessler employs a highly technical and demanding application method:

• Micro-Thin Layering: Each painting consists of up to 50 micro-thin layers of translucent and transparent acrylic, creating remarkable depth, light, and shadow.

• Textural Application: He pulls paint across the surface using tools like aluminum skimmers and utilizes curved masking tape to block off distinct geometric zones.

• Rhythmic Composition: By dividing his work into bands and matrices, Kessler draws attention to time-sequences and continuums, allowing his paintings to function much like music.

Collections and Commissions

By peeling away the surface to understand nature's inner workings, Kessler creates visual experiences that awaken memories of tree bark, seashells, and the surface of the water. His dedication to transformation and natural observation has earned him widespread recognition in the contemporary art world.

Today, Kessler's work is held in over 25 museum collections across the United States. His paintings are also featured in numerous prominent corporate and private collections, including a notable commission for Emeril’s Chop House at the Wind Creek Bethlehem Casino.

Curriculum Vitae

Awards /

FELLOWSHIPS Rome Prize, Painting, American Academy in Rome , 1990 Pollock/Krasner Award, Painting, New York, New York , 1992 Whitney Independent Study Program, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, New York , 1977 Awards in the Visual Arts-Five, Grant in Painting, South Eastern Center for Contemporary Art, 1985 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Grant in Painting , 1983

Solo

EXHIBITIONS 2013 Callan Contemporary, New Orleans, Louisiana Paia Contemporary Gallery, Maui, Hawaii Russell Collection, Austin, Texas Gallery Mar, Park City, Utah 2012 Schmidt/Dean Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Gallery Mar, Park City, Utah Paia Contemporary Gallery, Maui, Hawaii Dean Day Gallery, Houston, Texas Joseph Gierek Fine Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma Artamo, Santa Barbara, California

2011
Gallery Bienvenu, New Orleans, Louisana
Madison Gallery, La Jolla, California
Butters Gallery, Portland, Oregon
Paia Contemporary Gallery, Maui, Hawai
Argazzi Art, Lakeville, Connecticut
Ann Korologos Gallery, Basalt, Colorado
Russell Collection, Austin, Texas

2010
Paia Contemporary Gallery, Maui, Hawaii
Mark Gallery, Englewood, New Jersey
Lanoue Fine Art, Boston, Massachusetts
Gallery Mar, Park City, Utah

2009
Melanee Cooper Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
Friesen Gallery, Seattle, Washington
Joseph Gierek Fine Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Schmidt/Dean Gallery; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Gallery Bienvenu, New Orleans, Louisiana
Art Cube Gallery, Laguna Beach, California
Madison Gallery, La Jolla, California
2008
George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, California.
Blink Gallery, Boulder, Colorado
Nuart Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Artamo Gallery, Santa Barbara, California
Schmidt Dean Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Renee George Gallery, Charlotte, North Carolina
2007
Gallery Bienvenu, New Orleans, Louisana
Sense Gallery, Menlo Park, California.
Art Now Gallery, Gothenberg, Sweden
Butters Gallery, Portland, Oregon
Lanoue Gallery, Boston, Massesschuets
Russell Collection, Austin, Texas
Daniel Kany Gallery, Portland, Maine
Dean Day Gallery, Houston, Texas
2006
Gallery Bienvenu, New Orleans, Louisana
Craighead Green Gallery, Dallas, Texas
Friesen Gallery, Sun Valley, Idaho
Melanee Cooper Gallery, Chicago, Illinios
Schmidt Dean Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nuart Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Allyn Gallup Contemporary, Sarasota, Florida
John Raimondi Gallery, Boston, Massaschucits
Reed Savage Gallery, Miami, Florida
Perry Nicole Fine Art, Memphis, Tennessee
2005

Nuart Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Sense Gallery, Menlo Park, California.
Butters Gallery, Portland, Oregon
Friesen Gallery, Seattle, Washington
2004
Nuart Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Allyn Gallup Contemporary, Sarasota, Florida
Schmidt/Dean Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Magidson Fine Art, Aspen, Colorado

2003
Nuart Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Craighead Green Gallery , Dallas , Texas
Butters Gallery, Portland, Oregon
Littlejohn Contemporary, New York, New York
Sense Gallery, Menlo Park, Ca.

2002
Schmidt/Dean Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nuart Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Concept Art Gallery; Pittsburgh, Pa.

2001
Allyn Gallup Contemporary, Sarasota, Florida
EVO Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Bonfoey Company, Cleveland , Ohio
2000
Klein Art Works, Chicago, Illinois
1999
Littlejohn Contemporary, New York, New York
Klein Art Works, Chicago, Illinois
Mira Mar Gallery; Sarasota, Florida
Schmidt/Dean Gallery; Phila, Pennsylvania
1998
Bemis Center of Contemporary Art , Omaha , Nebraska
Craighead Green Gallery , Dallas , Texas

1997
Littlejohn Contemporary, New York, New York
Klein Art Works, Chicago, Illinois
LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico

1996
Littlejohn Contemporary, New York, New York
Schmidt / Dean Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa

1995
Galleri Flesser , Helsingborg , Sweden
Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, Nebraska
Art Now Gallery , Gothenberg, Sweden
Klein Artworks, Chicago, Illinois

1994
Klein Artworks; Chicago, Illinois
Schmidt/Dean Gallery; Philadelphia, Pa.
Castellani Art Museum, Niagara Falls, New York
Concept Art Gallery; Pittsburgh, Pa.

1993
Art Now Gallery; Goteborg, Sweden
Schmidt/Dean Gallery; Phila., Pennsylvania

1992
Klein Artworks; Chicago, Illinois
Allentown Art Museum; Allentown, Pennsylvania
Castellani Art Museum; Niagara Falls, New York
Schmidt/Dean Gallery; Phila, Pennsylvania
Mira Mar Gallery; Sarasota, Florida
1991
Art Now Gallery; Goteborg, Sweden

1990
Nina Freudenheim Gallery; Buffalo, New York
Klein Artworks; Chicago, Illinois
Schmidt/Dean Gallery; Phila., Pennsylvania
Jack Tilton Gallery; New York, New York

1989
Art Now Gallery; Goteborg, Sweden

1988
Jack Tilton Gallery; New York, New York

1987
Barbara Krakow Gallery; Boston, Massachusetts
Jack Tilton Gallery, New York, New York

1986
Art Now Gallery; Goteborg, Sweden
Fabian Carlsson Gallery; London, England
Wolff Gallery, New York, New York

1984
Jack Tilton Gallery; New York, New York

1983
Castellani Art Gallery; Niagara Falls, New York

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
1999/00
College of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico
1992/93
Lafayette College; Easton, Pennsylvania
1993/95
Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2006

Selections from the Vitale, Caturano & Company Collection, Bentley College, Waltham, MA

2005
New Work for the New Space Group Show, Craighead Green Gallery, Dallas ,Tx
The History of the Gallery, Kustera Tilton Gallery, NYC
The Plane Truth, Friesen Gallery, Seattle, Wa.
Butters Brand, Butters Gallery, Portland, Or.
2004
The Non-Objective Object, Friesen Gallery, Seattle, Wa.
Summer Group Show, Butters Gallery, Portland, Or.
November in Sun Valley, Friesen Gallery, Sun Valley, Id.
Gallery Artists, Nuart Gallery, Santa Fe, Nm.

2003
Art for Life, Cascade AIDS Project, Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, OR
Summer Group Show, Littlejohn Contemporary, NYC
Abstraction, Art Resources Gallery, St.. Paul, Mn.

2002
Nature Reined, Butters Gallery, Portland, OR
Summer Group Show, Littlejohn Contemporary, NYC
2001
Introductions, Butters Gallery, Portland, OR
12th Anniversary Show, Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA

2000
Gallery Artists, Schmidt/Dean Gallery, Philadelphia. Pa.
Gallery Artists, Concept Art Gallery, Pittsburgh, Pa.

1999
After Nature II, Trevor Richardson, Herter Art Gallery, University of Massachusetts Amherst
An Exhibition of Paintings by: Gregory Amenoff ,Bill Jensen, Michael Kessler,Rebecca Perdum,Katherine Porter
1998
Michael Kessler and Stephanie Weber, Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, Nebraska
Contemporary Abstraction, Klein Art Works, Chicago
1997
Abstract Confluence, Klein Art Works, Chicago

1996
Elusive Nature, 1996 Cuenca Bienal of Painting, Cuenca, Ecuador. Curated by David Rubin, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, Arizona.
1995
Directors Choice, Horwitch/Lewallen Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Gallery Artists , Klein Artworks, Chicago Illinois.
Michael Kessler/James Bruss, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, Nebraska
1993
About Nature, Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art, Cleveland, Ohio
curated by David Rubin, Curator of Contemporary Art, C.C.C.A.
1991
Vital Forces, Nature in Contemporary Abstraction, The Heckscher Museum, Huntington, NY
Romantic Abstraction, Works by Amenoff, Kessler, Raimondi; Helander Gallery, Palm Beach, Fl.
Annual Exhibition, American Academy in Rome, Italy
Drawings and Poems: Michael Kessler and John Yau; Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Vital Forces, Nature in Contemporary Abstraction; Heckscher Museum, Huntington, New York
1990
Five American Artists; Galerie D'Art, Copenhagen, Denmark
Inner Natures: Four Contemporary Painters; Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, Ca.
“Holiday Invitational,” ArtSpace/Virginia Miller Galleries, Coral Gables (Miami), Florida

1989
Four Painters, Flint Institute of Arts; Flint, Michigan

1988
Pennsylvania Perspectives; Carnegie Mellon University Art Gallery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Recent Acquisitions; Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, Pennsylvania

1987
Realism and Abstraction; The Newark Museum, Newark, New Jersey
1986
Recent Acquisition; Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo
More Than Meets the Eye; Galleria Carini, Florence, Italy
1985
More Than Meets the Eye; Fabian Carlsson Gallery, London, England
Awards in the Visual Arts-Five; Neuberger Museum, Purchase, New York;
Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, Ohio; Norton Gallery, West Palm Beach, Florida
1984
New York-Outside New York; The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, New York;
Museum of Art Association, Monterey, California; Sunrise Museums, Inc. Charleston, West Virginia
1983
Five Contemporary Artists; Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Selections 22; The Drawing Center, New York, New York
1980
In and Out of New York; White Columns, New York, New York

BIBLIOGRAPHY
2009
D. Eric Bookhardt, Michael Kessler at Gallery Bienvenu, New Orleans, Gambit, September, 2009

2008
Richard Speer, Michael Kessler at Butters Gallery, Portland, Oregon, Art Ltd. July, 2008
Kevin Costello, Finding Solace in Abstracts, Sarasota Herald Tribune, August 2008
Erin J. Smith, Michael Kessler : Graftings, CASA Magazine, November 2008
Colin Marshall, Michael Kessler's Graftings, Santa Barbara Independent, November, 2008

2006
D. Eric Bookhardt, Scratching the Surface, Michael Kessler at Gallery Bienvenu, New Orleans, Gambit, January, 2006

2005
Richard Speer, Michael Kessler at Nuart Gallery, Santa Fe, NM. ARTnews, November, 2005

2004
Kevin Costello, Kessler Landscapes Energetci, Enigmatic, The Sarasota Harold Tribune
Roberta Fallon, Michael Kessler's New Paintings...,Philadelphia Weekly

2003
Richard Speer, Kessler at Butters Gallery, Willamette Week, Portland, Or.

2002
Edward J. Sozanski, Philadelphia Inquirer, Taming the Grid, Michael Kessler at Schmidt/Dean Gallery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Robert Nott, Surface Matters, Pasatiempo, The New Mexican
Kurt Shaw, Southwest Influences..., The Pittsburgh Tribune

2001
Douglas Max Utter, Mind Over Matter, The Cleveland Free Times

1999
Trevor Richardson, After Nature II, Herter Art Gallery, University of Massachusetts Amherst
An Exhibition of Paintings by: Gregory Amenoff ,Bill Jensen, Michael Kessler,Rebecca Perdum,Katherine Porter

1997
Kathleen McCloud ,A Capricious Artistic Journey Beginning With Paint , Pasitempo, The New Mexican, Oct. 3, 1997
Victor M. Cassidy, Artnet Magazine, http://www.artnet.com/home.html ,Forty to Fifty Layers
David Ebony, ArtNet Magazine , http://www.artnet.com/magazine/reviews/ebony/kessler.html
.....David Ebony's New York Top Ten , Michael Kessler at Littlejohn Contemporary , NY
Miriam Seidel , Art In America , Michael Kessler at : Schmidt/Dean (Philadelphia) and Littlejohn Contemporary (New York)
Roberto Aguilar, EL COMERCIO , Cuenca , Ecuador , A Mystical Version of the Ecology , The U.S Room in the 5th Biennialle

1996
Rubin, David, “Elusive Nature”, 1996 Cuenca Bienal, Cuenca, Ecuador

1992
McNear, Sarah, "Transcendental Spaces"; Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, Pennsylvania

1991
Noll,Anna ,“Vital Forces: Nature in Contemporary Abstraction”, Heckscher Museum, Huntington,NY

1990
Doll, Nancy “Inner Natures” Four Contemporary Artists; Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara
King, Elaine A. Nature in the Age of Masscult. Jack Tilton Gallery; New York, New York
Rubin, David S. The Paintings of Michael Kessler: Preserving Nature's Umbilical Chord; Klein Artworks, Chicago, Illinois
Stein, Judith. Michael Kessler: Paintings Nina Freudenheim Gallery, Buffalo, New York

1989
Yau, John. Four Painters; Flint Institute of Arts, Flint, Michigan

Nature in Evolution; The Scandinavian Works; Art Now Gallery, Goteborg, Sweden

1988
Yau, John. Michael Kessler's View of the World; Jack Tilton Gallery, New York, New York

1987
Carrier, David. Michael Kessler; Jack Tilton Gallery, New York

1986
Gambrel, Jamey. Awards in the Visual Arts 5; The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston- Salem, North Carolina
Yau, John. After the Fall; Fabian Carlson Gallery, London, England

1984
Rifkin, Ned. New Work: New York/Outside New York: The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York; Made in Philadelphia 6; Institute of Contemporary Art, Phila., Pennsylvania

1983
Kotik, Charlotta. Landscapes and Imagery: Paintings and Drawings by Michael Kessler; Niagara University, Niagara Falls, New York

PERIODICALS
1997
Seidel, Miriam, “Michael Kessler at Schmidt/Dean and Littlejohn Contemporary” , Art in America, July 1997
Ebony, David, “Michael Kessler at Littlejohn Contemporary, New York City”, ArtNet Magazine, April 1997
McCloud, Kathlieen, “A Capricious Artistic Journey Beginning With Paint”, Pasatiempo, The New Mexican, October 1997

1996
Altabe, Joan “Kessler’s Subtle Paintings Reveal Depth”, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, October 11, 1996
Yellin Outwater,Myra, “Move to Santa Fe Colors Michael Kessler’s Paintings “, The Morning Call, Alentown, Pa. Novenber 17, 1996
Aguilar, Robert, “A Mystical Version of the Ecology”, El Comercio, Cuenca, Ecuador
1995
Melrod, George, "Openings", Art and Antiques, November 1995, page 40

1994
Holg, Garrett. "Kessler at Klein-Chicago", Artnews, April, 1994, page 177.
Kohen, Helen. "Michael Kessler's Roman Geometry", Miami Herald, April 6, 1994. page 14G
Wiens, Ann, "Kessler at Klein-Chicago", New Art Examiner, May 1994, page 44

1992
McCracken, David. 11 Year in Italy Catapults Kessler's Work", Chicago Tribune, (October 30)

1991
Sozanski, Edward. "On Galleries", The Philadelphia Inquirer, (April 16)

1990
Carter, Holland. "Michael Kessler," Art News 89 (December), no.10, 165
Cohen, Ronnie. "Michael Kessler," Art Forum 29 (November), no. 3, 169
Rice, Robin. "Cool Slate and Weathered Wood," Philadelphia City Paper (March 16)
Sozanski, Edward. "On Galleries," The Philadelphia Inquirer (March 4)
Wooster, Ann Sargent. "Michael Kessler," Arts Magazine 65 (December), no. 4, 82
1989
Cyphers, Peggy. Arts Magazine 65 (January), no. 5, 107
1988
Newhall, Edith. "Galleries," New York Magazine (September), 72
1987
Carrier, David. "Michael Kessler: A Painter of Nature in the Era of Postmodernist Art” Arts Magazine 61 (May), no. 9, 32-33
Narrett, Eugene. "Michael Kessler," New Art Examiner 14 (April), no. 8, 45
Stapen, Nancy. "Michael Kessler," Artforum 25 (April),
Wineberg, Jonathan. "Michael Kessler," Art in America 75 (November), no.11, 180-181

1986
Hall, Jacqueline. "Arts Flourish Southside New York," The Columbus Dispatch (September 21)
Zimmer, William. "Winners on Parade at the Neuberger," The New York Times (May 11), 22, Westchester Section
1985
Bohn-Duchen, Monica. "Nine Painters from New York," Flash Art (October-November), no. 126, 56
Larson, Kay. "Fresh Faces for Summer," New York Magazine, 54-55
Raynor, Vivian. "Art: New York, an Anthology at the New Museum," The New York Times (June 22),
Schwabsky, Barry. "Exotica: A Different World," Arts Magazine 59 (March), no.7, 120-121
Yau, John. "Michael Kessler," Artforum 23 (February), no.6, 87, "Michael Kessler's Drawings: Gesture as Image," Sulfer 14 (December), 88-93

1984
Warren, Ron. "Michael Kessler at Jack Tilton Gallery," Arts Magazine 58 (Summer) no. 10, 34-35
1983
Glueck, Grace. "Art-One Man's Biennial Assembles 102 Artists," The New York Times (April 15),

REVIEW
MICHAEL KESSLER: THE SENSE(S) OF ABSTRACTION
By Peter Frank

Beneath their pearlescent skin, Michael Kessler’s paintings breathe - breathe, you might think, like the flora whose limbs and trunks course through his compositions; but, no, they breathe more as music breathes. To be sure, the spine, visual and spiritual, of Kessler’s painting is that of the natural - the botanical - world. But the sense of structure that pervades his paintings maintains an elaborate, patterned density all its own, one you start to hear as you see it. Intricately contrapuntal partitions, multiphonic overlays, shifting sequences of dark and light, large and small, flatness and texture, color and grisaille predominate in particular in his newest work. In their flow and punctuation, these latest paintings are veritable scores for hearing - or soundings for seeing.
Although he acknowledges their musical nature, Kessler does not produce these tableaux in response to any musical stimulus, specific composition or general formula. Indeed, until recently his own commentary and others’ has stressed the natural - the "organic" - factors giving the work its swooping, crackling linear presence. The lyricism infusing Kessler’s painting resides, in fact, in its myriad branches and veins, factors that do not contribute to the paintings’ melodic or harmonic quality but flavor it with a nuance that determines timbre. You might say they constitute the instrumental - that is, optical - inflection here. But, to re-emphasize, such visual-sonic equivalence is no more impulse of the artist than it is the fancy of the viewer.
One may be on more secure ground identifying Kessler’s structure as architectural. The off-beat recurrence of geometric forms framing and interrupting the persistent, underlying treelike forms and images can certainly be likened to eccentric arrangements of windows in the façades of modernist buildings: Le Corbusier and Niemeyer would recognize Kessler’s sense of order as a recapitulation of their own. In many paintings the trees and branches appear framed by these apertures. But, goes the aphorism, architecture is frozen music, and there is a flow to these paintings’ disposition that urges the eye to travel, to see all the visual incident as at least potentially in flux. Deliberately or not, Kessler may have determined the moment at which architecture’s solidity gives way to music’s fluidity.
All that said, note should be made as well of the mood - the tone - set in these paintings. It is a shifting tone, one that doesn’t simply set organic intricacy against the geometric pacing of a built environment, but builds on the animated superposition of these two sets of elements, on the contrast and the continuity that maintain between them. Certain of the newer paintings can seem brittle, dry and wintry, while others radiate an earthy warmth. They evoke weather and flavor, age and scent. Metaphorically, at least, these paintings appeal to all five senses. You can taste them with your ears.
Michael Kessler invites such synesthetic hyperbole through a process of deformulation. He restricts his vocabulary to certain subjects and certain forms, then breaks down these forms and subjects by running them into and through one another. In musical terms, it is a formidable polyphony - a polyphony felt with an immediacy that transcends, or more to the point breaks through, metaphoric equivalency. You do hear them with your eyes.
Los Angeles
December 2012

REVIEW
Exhibition Review: Park City
The Occasion of Hybrid Art
Michael Kessler at Gallery MAR
by Geoff Wichert

During the twentieth century, someone was always looking around and calling what he saw “the death of art.” Yet those years saw the creation of more original and innovative ways of art-making than in any other comparable era. Following the lead of painting, most of those newer approaches (collage, assemblage, serigraphy, installation, performance, video, encaustic, etc.) were viewed by their creators as more that just superficial novelties: the abstract expressionists saw their technical breakthroughs as formal replacements for traditional content (theme, subject matter, point of view). Even those artists who continued to draw and paint from life generally recognized that the style of presentation had become more important than the choice of what to present. For a pop artist, a ketchup bottle and a movie star were equal subjects, provided they were presented in a manner that looked appropriate to the time and place of their representation.
So painting entered the twenty-first century offering an unprecedented range of material choices. Such variety, however, does not equal complete freedom; after all, if the look of the work contributes materially to its content—indeed may BE its content—then that look has to be appropriate to the work’s purpose. Every art student learns to capture the superficial style of cubism—never mind that her work may not share the reasons why cubist art looked the way it did. Works making arbitrary approaches may have decorative virtue, but they clearly would not contribute anything original and legitimate to art. They would not, to use a phrase popularized by the contemporary art movement, “be part of the discourse.”
This history is necessary prelude to an experience that has become common in the gallery. On scanning a room full of art, it’s often the case that new works recall otherwise unconnected ones. Not that they are copies, or even influenced by the earlier work, but it seems as though a look from another time and place has percolated into them, creating a kind of hybrid. The result can be very exciting, as was the case last week, when I came across the paintings of Michael Kessler at MAR Gallery in Park City. Kessler was born in Pennsylvania in 1954, but has lived and worked in New Mexico for some time, so he may be thought a local artist. And although his work initially appears absolutely abstract, closer study reveals it to be rooted in nature —specifically in the emergence from plant architecture of its characteristic surface textures and forms. Finding an image that delivers such a powerful, purely aesthetic rush—the pleasure of rich color and strong line, working together to create a complex-but-unified experience within the frame—and discovering on further examination that it evokes and imports inferences about the world into which it emerges, is the kind of discovery one expects to make in the museum, among the old masters, not something today’s art often delivers.
A few further observations are worth making. As is generally true since the departure of the abstract expressionist “giants,” Kessler’s works run from small to middle size. Their surfaces are hard and glass-like, qualities that go well with their frequent suggestion of stained glass windows. They call to mind European post-WW2 stained glass, with its strong graphic quality: lead lines used to draw freely over an expansive background of colored geometry that is characterized by hand-made textures. In addition to printmaking, the glassy surface encourages a feeling of peering into a shallow space full of scratched, raked, or sprinkled patterns. Lines, varying in weight but usually accompanied by shadows or auras (as if backlit) wind and weave before these grounds, sometimes freely and at other times seeming to be contained in tubes or passageways that crisscross the panel. In addition to botanical details, topological impressions often suggest charts and maps.
It would be sufficient for many in the audience that these are beautiful, captivating, and hypnotic paintings that the eye will never exhaust. They will continue to reward careful and even casual study for as long as they are seen. But for those who want to find another truth—one that can be translated into words—there are metaphors to be found in their resemblance to so many natural events. Whether it’s the starry sky, or bubbles rising in a clear vessel, or the overlap of a texture and a line producing a recognizable object like a leaf or branch, a visual argument is being made in these images. The miracle of the language you are reading is that from a large-but-finite number of words and the rules for combining them, infinite variation is possible, and anything can be said. Michael Kessler demonstrates that from a similarly large-but-limited number of colors and two-dimensional shapes, a three-dimensional world of infinite possibility arises.
Sometimes I think I’m getting tired of art, but I could watch this happen all day, and for the rest of my life.

View artwork by Michael Kessler