About the artist:

The artist Jean-Marie Haessle was born in Alsace in Eastern France. It is a region that was contested between France and Germany for centuries. From his early childhood Haessle remembers the American bomber planes flying over the home of his parents. Nothing indicated that Haessle should become an artist. Except for a grand-uncle who had painted frescoes in a church, nobody in his family had any connections to art.When Haessle was fourteen years old, he started to work in a coal mine. It was a devastating experience for him. And when he was seventeen years old, he became very sick. Haessle then realized that he had to change his life. Nevertheless after his reconvalescence he returned to the mine until he was called to military service. He spent two and a half years in the French army. During his service Haessle saw his first art museum. It was in Munich where he saw van Goghs painting Sunflowers against a blue background. Haessle was mesmerized and decided to become a painter After Haessle's military service was finished, he went to Paris in 1964. There he met an American girl and together they went to New York in 1967. When Haessle arrived in New York, he could not speak English and his starting capital were US$200. Not the best conditions to start a career as an artist. In the beginning Haessle felt like an outsider. But by and by he made his way. He first joined an artist community at Westbeth and even had a small show there. He met Carl Andre and Hans Haacke. In the seventies, Haessle gained recognition.He had important group and individual art expositions in New York, Washington, Mexico and Taipei. In the eighties and nineties his fame became international. Haessle's paintings are shown in Europe, mainly in his homeland France, but also in Switzerland and Greece. Haessle's art is abstract and semi-abstract. His favorite media is acrylic on canvas and oil on canvas. Sizes are rather huge - from 30 x 24 inches (76 x 61 cm) to 78 x 78 inches (200 x 200 cm). Most of Haessle's paintings impress with vivid, strong colors. And in some way, they look very French. One Person Exhibitions 2000 Gallery Yvonamor Palix, Mexico DF Mexico 1997 Galerie Gastaud & Caillard, Paris France Galerie Prebet, Roanne France Galerie de la Tour, Altkirch France Ecole des Beaux Arts de Metz, Metz France Kunsthous Santa Fe, San Miguel de Allende Mexico Museo de Art, Queretaro Mexico Museo Regional de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala Mexico 1996 Kim Foster Gallery, New York NY USA Galerie Gastaud, Clermont-Ferrand France 1995 Kim Foster Gallery, New York NY USA Galerie Gastaud & Caillard, Paris France Center Europeen d'Action Artistiques Contemporaines, Strasbourg France Galerie Athisma, Lyon France 1994 Chateau du Grand Jardin, Joinville France 1993 Galerie Catherine Fletcher, Paris France 1991 Galerie Gastaud, Clermont-Ferrand France Galerie Athisma, Lyon France 1989 FCI Institut, New York NY USA Galerie Jade, Colmar France Galerie Laurentienne, Bordeaux France 1988 Galerie Lucien Durand, Paris France 1987 Galerie Lucien Durand, Paris France Guggenheim Gallery, Miami Florida USA 1986 LittleJohn-Smith Gallery, New York NY USA 1985 Reynold Kerr Gallery, New York NY USA Taylor Hudson Gallery, Boca Raton Florida USA 1981 Gabrielle Bryers Gallery, New York NY USA 1980 RR Gallery, New York NY USA 1979 National Academy of Sciences, Washington DC USA The Atlantic Gallery, Washington DC USA 1973 Westbroadway Gallery, New York NY USA 1972 Westbeth Gallery, New York NY USA 1968 Panoras Gallery, New York NY USA Selected Group Exhibitions 2004 Mexico Arte Contemperano, Gallery Yvonamor Palix, Mexico DF Mexico 2003 Gallery Kahn, Strasbourg, France 2002 Art Chicago, Yvonamor Palix Gallery, Chicago USA St'Art, Gallery Kahn, Strasbourg France Art Paris, Galerie Claire Gastaud, Paris France 2001 Art Chicago, Yvonamor Palix Gallery, Chicago USA 2000 Art Chicago, Yvonamor Palix Gallery, Chicago USA En construccion, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato Mexico Nomad Territories, DFN Gallery, New York NY USA 1999 Gallery Yvonamor Palix, Mexico DF Mexico 1998 Albright-Knox Galleries, Buffalo NY USA Galerie Gastaud, Clermont-Ferrand France 1997 Kim Foster Gallery, New York NY USA Galerie Gastaud, Clermont-Ferrand France Eric Linard Galerie, La Garde Adhemar France Museo de Arte, Queretaro Mexico 1996 Art Chicago, Kim Foster gallery, Chicago USA "Blue" Broadway Gallery, New York NY USA 1995 Galerie Cocotier, St Etienne France Centre Europeen d'Action Artistiques Contemporaines, Strasbourg France 1994 Kim Foster Gallery, New York NY USA Galerie Catherine Fletcher, Paris France Foster-Peet Gallery, New York NY USA 1993 Andover-White Gallery, New York NY USA Galerie Athisma, Lyon France Cavaliero/Navarra Fine Arts, New York NY USA 1992 Cavaliero/Navarra Fine Arts, New York NY USA "Contemporary Works on Paper" Gallery Standhal, New York NY USA Foster-Peet Gallery, New York NY USA 1991 Cavaliero Fine Arts, New York NY USA Salon de Montrouge, Paris France Galerie Lucien Durand, Paris France 1990 Galerie Lucien Durand, Paris France 1989 Galerie Lucien Durand, Paris France Galerie Jade, Colmar France Chicago Art Fair, Galerie Jade, Chicago USA 1988 Salon de Montrouge, Paris France Galerie Lucien Durand, Paris France 1987 Art Barn Association, Washington DC USA LittleJohn-Smith Gallery, New York NY USA Galerie Jade Colmar France 1986 LittleJohn-Smith Gallery, New York USA 1985 Reynold Kerr Gallery, New York NY USA 1984 Reynold Kerr Gallery, New York NY USA 1983 Cavaliero Fine Arts, Kunstmess, Basel Switzerland Galerie Bertin, Lyon France 1982 Cavaliero Fine Arts, Kunstmess, Basel Switzerland 1981 Gabrielle Bryers Gallery, New York NY USA 1980 Gabrielle Bryers Gallery, New York NY USA 1979 Katheryn Markel Gallery, New York NY USA Haber-Theodore Gallery, New York NY USA 1978 The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, Co USA 1977 Robert Friedus Gallery, New York NY USA OIA, New York NY USA 1976 Fine Art Gallery, New York NY USA 1975 "Young Talent Festival" "75" Union Carbide, New York NY USA 1974 "Young Talent Festival" Pace Editions, New York NY USA "59th Annual Juried Exhibition", Hudson River Museum, Yonkers NY USA 1973 Springfield Art Association, Springfield Co USA Works on Paper, Triangle Church, New York NY USA "Young Artists 73" Union carbide, New York NY USA New York Contemporary Graphic Exhibition, Taiwan Museum, Taipei 1972 Palace of Fine Arts, Mexico DF Mexico Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo NY USA "9th Annual print Exhibition" Silvermine Guild, New Canaan Co USA 1971 Martha Jackson Gallery, New York NY USA Cornell University, Ithaca NY USA Catalogues 1985 Renold Kerr Gallery, New York NY USA Text by David Schaff 1989 Galerie Jade, Colmar France."The primary paintings of Haessle" by Frederick Ted Castle Introduction by Jean-Yves Bainier 1994 Chateau du Grand Jardin, Joinville France. "In Memory of the Body" Text by David Shapiro. Interview by Marc Vaudey. In French and English. 1994 Chateau du Grand Jardin, Joinville France. Edition of 200 expl. 1995 Centre Europeen d'Action Artistiques Contemporaines, Strasbourg France "A Corps et a Couleurs" Text by Gilbert Lascault. Interview by Jean-Yves Bainier 62 pages, 27 full color reproductions. Hard cover. In French and English. 1995 HAESSLE 30 ans de peinture. Monography 145 pages with 70 full color reproductions. Editions AU MEME TITRE. Text by David Shaff, Gilbert Lascault, David Shapiro, Jean-Yves Bainier. Interview by Catherine Ulmer. In English and French.