Ponti Art Gallery is interested in buying and selling works
of art by this artist.
Donald Beachler Biography
Donald Baechler, an American painter and sculptor, emerged as a significant figure in the Neo-expressionism movement during the 1980s. Born on November 22, 1956, in Hartford, Connecticut, Baechler's journey into the art world was influenced by his upbringing in a Quaker family. His mother, Marjorie (née Dolliver), a journalist and quilter, and his father, Henry Jules Baechler, an accountant, provided a nurturing environment for his early artistic explorations. Baechler's interest in art was further encouraged after the death of his mother, leading him to collaborate on paintings with his maternal grandmother, who was also a painter.
Baechler's formal education in art began at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he pursued a B.F.A. in Painting from 1974 to 1977. He then continued his studies at Cooper Union in New York City from 1977 to 1978, earning his M.F.A. Dissatisfied with the art scene in New York at the time, Baechler sought inspiration abroad and moved to Frankfurt am Main, Germany, to study at the Staatliche Hochschule für Bildende Künste Städelschule. His decision to move was influenced by his interactions with German exchange students at Cooper Union, who introduced him to a more vibrant and engaging art community.
Upon returning to New York City in 1980, Baechler took a job as a guard at Walter De Maria's New York Earth Room, marking the beginning of his professional career in the arts. He quickly became a part of New York's dynamic art scene, particularly in the East Village, where he was known for his flat, playful, and almost naïve-seeming neo-Expressionist paintings. Baechler's work often featured everyday objects as symbols, drawing from a vast collection of popular images and objects he had accumulated over the years. Despite the childlike appearance of his work, Baechler insisted that this was not intentional and that he was not particularly interested in children's art.
Baechler's artistic influences were diverse, citing postwar gestural painter Cy Twombly, Italian Renaissance painter Giotto, and Robert Rauschenberg, known for his juxtaposition of images from different sources, as his chief inspirations. He described himself as an abstract artist, focusing more on line, form, balance, and the edge of the canvas than on subject matter or narrative. Baechler's work is characterized by its layered approach, combining fragments into what he called an "illusion of history."
Throughout his career, Baechler exhibited widely, participating in prestigious events such as the Bienal de São Paulo and the Whitney Biennial, and enjoying solo shows at institutions like Kunsthalle Basel and Austria's Museum der Moderne. His work is held in the collections of major museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Despite his success, Baechler's work was sometimes misunderstood, inaccurately associated with graffiti art and considered ingratiating by some critics. Nevertheless, his contributions to the art world were significant, and his unique approach to painting and sculpture left a lasting impact on the Neo-expressionist movement.
Donald Baechler passed away on April 4, 2022, in Manhattan at the age of 65, following a heart attack. His legacy continues through his vibrant and thought-provoking artworks, which remain influential in the contemporary art world. Baechler's life and work exemplify the journey of an artist who was deeply committed to exploring the boundaries of expression and the potential of visual language.
Donald Beachler Quotes and
Sales of Works
Ponti Art Gallery selects and deals with paintings by the
artist. Upon request, we provide free estimates and
evaluations, communicate prices, quotations, and current
market values.
If you are interested in BUYING or SELLING works by the
artist, contact us immediately.
If you wish to sell or receive an evaluation of the
works:
Send us a frontal photo of the painting, one of the back,
and one of the signature. Also, indicate the dimensions of
the work. Inform us about the purchase origin of the work
and any kind of available documentation (purchase
receipts, certificates of authenticity, publications). One
of our operators will respond to you on the same day. We
guarantee maximum confidentiality and extreme
professionalism.
If you wish to purchase works by the painter: Contact us
and let us know your request. We will inform you about the
available works. We also offer the possibility to
subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, through which you will be
informed at the beginning of each month about the latest
acquisitions of the art gallery.
You can send us pictures of the work: