These paintings represent a cohesive body of work by Haessle in which he explores the formal elements of color and line to create non-objective, gestural abstractions. The paintings evoke abstract expressionism with their richly textured surfaces and layers of marks made by countless linear brushstrokes and extruded paint, but take it to a different level with their luminous colors and the way they capture and hold light. His early influences while growing up in France were that of Vincent Van Gogh, Jean Dubuffet and the CoBrA artist Karel Appel. However, after moving to New York, he discovered Color Field painting and the work of Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis, Jules Olitski and Larry Poons. Haessle’s work reflects his unique history and the influences of l’art brut and Color Field painting.
