Skip to main content

Michael Kessler Paintings

American, b. 1954
Michael Kessler makes nature-based paintings that merge geometric elements with biomorphism. He began his art career as a landscape painter. While still an undergraduate at Kutztown University Kessler received a fellowship from the Whitney Museum of American Art to study and produce art in New York City at the Whitney Independent Study Program. During this period (1977–78) he met many important artists working in New York City including Richard Tuttle and Dorothea Rockburne. Influenced by the paintings of Brice Marden and Elizabeth Murray as well as the music of Phillip Glass and Steve Reich he began experimenting with his own work. His paintings soon became fully non-objective. Kessler's works are characterized by large fields of diaphanous color that are activated by organic linear structures that have been visually and physically woven into a grid structure, which consists of thick slabs of paint. These organic linear structures are overlapped and punctuated by dendritic growth patterns that suggest the bending of time and space. These visual elements as well as the color combinations have been carefully extracted from nature over time through prolonged observation and then reconstructed and orchestrated to transmit the dynamics of the Natural World. In this way Kessler synthesizes disparate elements into a new kind of harmony. In 1991 after returning from a year in Italy (via. the Rome Prize) Kessler became very involved with large-scale, site-specific installations. Gallery owner Chris Schmidt (Schmidt/Dean Gallery, Philadelphia) worked with Kessler to initiate this project by obtaining a commission from Arlen Specter for Kessler's first sitespecific work which was installed in Senator Specter's office at the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. In Chicago Kessler continued this pursuit with Gallery owner Paul Klein who also got involved with the placement of sitespecific works in his gallery Klein Art Works. In 1993-95 Kessler taught art at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. During the 90s Kessler worked with Brenda Kroos in Cleveland, Ohio. He had several exhibitions there and many of his paintings were placed in corporate and private collections in the Cleveland area.
to
1
10
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
2
9
1
1
8
8
3
9
8
8
2
2
11
754
750
749
659
11
Artist: Michael Kessler
“Studio 1” Contemporary Gestural Purple, Blue, and Cream Abstract Painting
“Studio 1” Contemporary Gestural Purple, Blue, and Cream Abstract Painting

“Studio 1” Contemporary Gestural Purple, Blue, and Cream Abstract Painting

By Michael Kessler

Located in Houston, TX

Contemporary gestural purple, blue, and cream abstract painting by American artist Michael Kessler. The work consists of many very thin layers of paint that are built up to reveal th...

Category

1990s Abstract Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

Untitled

Untitled

By Michael Kessler

Located in Buffalo, NY

Kessler makes nature-based paintings that merge geometric elements with biomorphism. He began his art career as a landscape painter. While still an undergraduate at Kutztown Universi...

Category

1980s Abstract Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Oil, Paper, Wood

MEDIANIC
MEDIANIC

MEDIANIC

By Michael Kessler

Located in Three Oaks, MI

Michael Kessler’s work explores the continuum between gesture and geometry. Each work consists of as many as 50 micro-thin layers of translucent and transparent acrylic. Biomorphic tendrils branch to and fro, while arcs of line and color slip over and under matrices, balancing nature’s sinuous curves with the mindfulness of structure. He likens the gestural freedom in his works to a kind of painterly “tai chi” – a...

Category

2010s Abstract Geometric Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

White 1

White 1

By Michael Kessler

Located in Three Oaks, MI

Michael Kessler often describes his process in musical terms, likening his approach to improvisational jazz, where themes and motifs emerge and evolve organically. His paintings are ...

Category

2010s Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Emerald Pools (21)
Emerald Pools (21)

Emerald Pools (21)

By Michael Kessler

Located in Three Oaks, MI

Michael Kessler makes nature-based paintings that merge geometric elements with biomorphism. He began his art career as a landscape painter. While an undergraduate at Kutztown University Kessler received a fellowship from the Whitney Museum of American Art to study and produce art in New York City at the Whitney Independent Study Program. Michael Kessler’s work explores the continuum between gesture and geometry. Each work consists of as many as 50 micro-thin layers of translucent and transparent acrylic. Biomorphic tendrils branch to and fro, while arcs of line and color slip over and under matrices, balancing nature’s sinuous curves with the mindfulness of structure. He likens the gestural freedom in his works to a kind of painterly “tai chi” – a...

Category

2010s Abstract Geometric Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

CELESTERRIAL 4
CELESTERRIAL 4

CELESTERRIAL 4

By Michael Kessler

Located in Three Oaks, MI

Kessler's use of geometry is not bound to rigid mathematical systems; rather, it serves as a vessel for expressive improvisation, much like a jazz composition. The geometric elements...

Category

2010s Abstract Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Board

CELESTERRIAL 3
CELESTERRIAL 3

CELESTERRIAL 3

By Michael Kessler

Located in Three Oaks, MI

Kessler's use of geometry is not bound to rigid mathematical systems; rather, it serves as a vessel for expressive improvisation, much like a jazz composition. The geometric elements...

Category

2010s Abstract Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Board

Birchonapsen

Birchonapsen

By Michael Kessler

Located in New Orleans, LA

Acrylic on canvas

Category

2010s Abstract Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Jillidu
Jillidu

Jillidu

By Michael Kessler

Located in Three Oaks, MI

Michael Kessler makes nature-based paintings that merge geometric elements with biomorphism. He began his art career as a landscape painter. While an undergraduate at Kutztown University Kessler received a fellowship from the Whitney Museum of American Art to study and produce art in New York City at the Whitney Independent Study Program. Michael Kessler’s work explores the continuum between gesture and geometry. Each work consists of as many as 50 micro-thin layers of translucent and transparent acrylic. Biomorphic tendrils branch to and fro, while arcs of line and color slip over and under matrices, balancing nature’s sinuous curves with the mindfulness of structure. He likens the gestural freedom in his works to a kind of painterly “tai chi” – a...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Geometric Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Grill 11

Michael KesslerGrill 11

Price Upon Request

Grill 11

By Michael Kessler

Located in New Orleans, LA

Acrylic on panel.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Michael Kessler Paintings

Treeclips 14

Michael KesslerTreeclips 14

Price Upon Request

Treeclips 14

By Michael Kessler

Located in New Orleans, LA

Acrylic on panel.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Michael Kessler Paintings

Related Items
Blue Desert No. 6 - Abstract Deep Green Bronze Geometric Original Wall Painting
Blue Desert No. 6 - Abstract Deep Green Bronze Geometric Original Wall Painting

Blue Desert No. 6 - Abstract Deep Green Bronze Geometric Original Wall Painting

By Alexander Eulert

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Alexander Eulert's original mixed media paintings on wood panels are abstract propositions of worlds where divergent forces coalesce into harmonious geometric interactions. He draws ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Geometric Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Metal, Gold Leaf

Willem De Kooning Abstract on Newspaper
Willem De Kooning Abstract on Newspaper

Willem De Kooning Abstract on Newspaper

By Willem de Kooning

Located in Dallas, TX

Willem de Kooning (Dutch, 1904 - 1997) Abstract oil on Newspaper (NY Times, Friday Jan. 26, 1973). Pencil signed lower left. Provenance: - Private Collector, East Hampton New York;...

Category

1970s Abstract Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Oil, Newsprint

"Divine Spontaneity II" Acrylic, Oil Pastels, Pencils Abstract Painting 48"x36"
"Divine Spontaneity II" Acrylic, Oil Pastels, Pencils Abstract Painting 48"x36"

"Divine Spontaneity II" Acrylic, Oil Pastels, Pencils Abstract Painting 48"x36"

By Karina Gentinetta

Located in New York, NY

"Divine Spontaneity II" 2023, 48" H x 36" W. Vertical abstract painting consisting of acrylics, house paint, oil pastels, color pencils, and carbon pencils on canvas by Argentine-bo...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

House Paint, Acrylic, Carbon Pencil, Oil Pastel, Color Pencil

One Way or Another
One Way or Another

Ilana GreenbergOne Way or Another, 2026

$675

H 21 in W 17 in D 2 in

One Way or Another

Located in Brooklyn, NY

This black and white abstract acrylic painting is inspired by the mid-century masters like Franz Kline. Framed in a beautiful wood frame, wired and ready to hang, 17 in. wide x 21 in...

Category

2010s Abstract Geometric Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"Untitled" Acrylics, Pencils, Oil Pastels on Paper in Neutral Hues of Taupe
"Untitled" Acrylics, Pencils, Oil Pastels on Paper in Neutral Hues of Taupe

"Untitled" Acrylics, Pencils, Oil Pastels on Paper in Neutral Hues of Taupe

By Karina Gentinetta

Located in New York, NY

"Untitled" 2019, 25" x 31" horizontal drawing on paper by Argentine-born artist Karina Gentinetta (featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, the...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Glaze, Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Carbon Pencil

"Verdigris" Large Scale Acrylic, Oil Pastels and Pencils Green Abstract 84"x60"
"Verdigris" Large Scale Acrylic, Oil Pastels and Pencils Green Abstract 84"x60"

"Verdigris" Large Scale Acrylic, Oil Pastels and Pencils Green Abstract 84"x60"

By Karina Gentinetta

Located in New York, NY

"Verdigris" 2025, 84" H x 60" W. A captivating large-scale abstract painting by Argentine-born artist Karina Gentinetta, renowned for her work featured in Architectural Digest, Elle...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Carbon Pencil, Color Pencil

Urban Abstraction (ripped off posters) Italian Expressionist Painting on Canvas
Urban Abstraction (ripped off posters) Italian Expressionist Painting on Canvas

Urban Abstraction (ripped off posters) Italian Expressionist Painting on Canvas

By Andrea Spinelli

Located in Firenze, IT

The present work of art titled "Urban Abstraction (ripped off posters)" is part of a series of paintings that the artist composed in the 1980s and 1990s inspired by the observation of the urban reality of those years. The artist take the cue from his walks in Florence, both in the center and in the suburbs, and by the observation of billboards and posters scattered throughout the city. The mass of information, colors, messages and words were carried on the canvas with acrylic colors, ideally reconstructing the tears and overlaps of all the information and advertising contained on these huge sheets of paper that invade our cities. The geometric lines are overlaid with jagged lines, overlaps and color dripping and also the choice in the color palette, with different shades of white, gray, rose, orange red and blue helps in rendering the result of the tears and ripped paper. The result is a beautiful multicolored modern abstract canvas, both aesthetically and ethically, with many rich layers of color, texture and expression in which the artist leaves his own message. The painting is housed in a simple modern white lacquer wood frame. Andrea Spinelli...

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Expressionist Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Glimpses No. 8 - Original Turquoise Green Gold Abstract Geometric Artwork
Glimpses No. 8 - Original Turquoise Green Gold Abstract Geometric Artwork

Glimpses No. 8 - Original Turquoise Green Gold Abstract Geometric Artwork

By Alexander Eulert

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Alexander Eulert's original mixed media paintings on wood panels are abstract propositions of worlds where divergent forces coalesce into harmonious geometric interactions. He draws ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Geometric Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

"Brescia" Abstract Painting Collage
"Brescia" Abstract Painting Collage

Michael Pauker"Brescia" Abstract Painting Collage, 2014

$920Sale Price|20% Off

H 24 in W 18 in D 2 in

"Brescia" Abstract Painting Collage

By Michael Pauker

Located in Soquel, CA

Abstract expressionist painting and collage by Bay Area artist Michael Pauker (American, b.1957). Titled and dated "Brescia 2014" on verso. Unsigned. From a collection of his work. F...

Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Wood, Mixed Media, Oil, Magazine Paper

"Earth Tone" Acrylics in Raw Sienna and Brown Tones Abstract Painting 42" x 28"
"Earth Tone" Acrylics in Raw Sienna and Brown Tones Abstract Painting 42" x 28"

"Earth Tone" Acrylics in Raw Sienna and Brown Tones Abstract Painting 42" x 28"

By Karina Gentinetta

Located in New York, NY

"Earth Tones" 2025, 42" H x 28" W (framed - unframed, it measures 40.5" x 26.5") Abstract, vertical orientation abstract painting consisting of acrylics and part of the new "Earthen...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Previously Available Items
Tree diptych
Tree diptych

Michael KesslerTree diptych, circa 2010

Sold

H 24.5 in W 80 in D 2 in

Tree diptych

By Michael Kessler

Located in Three Oaks, MI

Michael Kessler makes nature-based paintings that merge geometric elements with biomorphism. He began his art career as a landscape painter. While an undergraduate at Kutztown Univer...

Category

20th Century Abstract Geometric Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

LUPULIN
LUPULIN

Michael KesslerLUPULIN

Sold

H 48 in W 36 in D 1.5 in

LUPULIN

By Michael Kessler

Located in Three Oaks, MI

Michael Kessler’s work explores the continuum between gesture and geometry. Each work consists of as many as 50 micro-thin layers of translucent and transparent acrylic. Biomorphic tendrils branch to and fro, while arcs of line and color slip over and under matrices, balancing nature’s sinuous curves with the mindfulness of structure. He likens the gestural freedom in his works to a kind of painterly “tai chi” – a...

Category

2010s Abstract Geometric Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood Panel

Aspen Blue (3)

Michael KesslerAspen Blue (3), circa 2010

Sold

H 18 in W 60 in D 1.5 in

Aspen Blue (3)

By Michael Kessler

Located in Three Oaks, MI

Michael Kessler makes nature-based paintings that merge geometric elements with biomorphism. He began his art career as a landscape painter. While an undergraduate at Kutztown University Kessler received a fellowship from the Whitney Museum of American Art to study and produce art in New York City at the Whitney Independent Study Program. Michael Kessler’s work explores the continuum between gesture and geometry. Each work consists of as many as 50 micro-thin layers of translucent and transparent acrylic. Biomorphic tendrils branch to and fro, while arcs of line and color slip over and under matrices, balancing nature’s sinuous curves with the mindfulness of structure. He likens the gestural freedom in his works to a kind of painterly “tai chi” – a...

Category

2010s Abstract Geometric Michael Kessler Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Aspenized 19

Michael KesslerAspenized 19

Sold

H 60 in W 40 in

Aspenized 19

By Michael Kessler

Located in New Orleans, LA

Acrylic on panel.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Michael Kessler Paintings

Waterclock

Michael KesslerWaterclock

Sold

H 28 in W 70 in

Waterclock

By Michael Kessler

Located in New Orleans, LA

Acrylic on panel.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Michael Kessler Paintings

Michael Kessler paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Michael Kessler paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of paintings to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of red and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Michael Kessler in paint, acrylic paint, synthetic resin paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Michael Kessler paintings, so small editions measuring 11 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Susan Sharp, Sarah Winkler, and Michael Marlowe. Michael Kessler paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,200 and tops out at $15,000, while the average work can sell for $8,500.