Description of the Work: "Profession and Vocation, 1983" by Donald Baechler
Donald Baechler: The Genesis of an Icon, Between Pictorial Gesture and Graphic Line
"Profession and Vocation" is a seminal work by Donald Baechler, created in 1983 using a mixed media of acrylics, gouache, and collage on cardboard, measuring 91 x 91 cm. This work dates to a pivotal moment in Baechler's career, when his bold and expressive paintings made him an influential figure among the new generation of New York painters (along with Basquiat and Haring).
The work is the genesis of Baechler's iconic vocabulary: selected images are reduced to a symbolic absence through bold and immediate painting. The work highlights his mastery of the relationship between personal and universal iconography, where the pictorial gesture and the graphic line merge. By portraying the image (a stylized face next to what appears to be an architectural element or a tool) with his brush, the artist eliminates unnecessary details, accentuating a humorous and almost childlike quality.
The work, signed, dated, and titled on the back, is in excellent condition. It comes from the prestigious collection of Roman Soukup, co-founder of the art magazine Wolkenkratzer and a close friend of Baechler, who purchased the work directly from the artist.
The work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by the gallery.
Donald Baechler: Profession and Vocation (1983). Acrylics, gouache, and collage on cardboard, 91 x 91 cm. A key work of 1980s New York painting. Archived.
