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© 2004 Bernard M. Deschler
Design - by ArtQuest
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Bernard
M. Deschler is a French-born artist
with a serious gift for expressing
the movement of body and soul. Many
of his scenes take place in bars and
smoke-filled lounges where construction
guys stop in for a short one and musicians
play for the long haul. We can feel
the cohesive intimacy of the moment
in what is, essentially, a collective
experience. His figures are animated
while being vivid in color and character.
Their physical immediacy makes the
work pulse with vitality.
| 1923
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Born in Paris,
France. |
| 1926
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At 3 years of
age, he began drawing with instruction from George
Klein. He also had a Mastoid operation. Before
the advent of antibiotics, mastoid (middle ear)
surgery used to be one of the most frequent surgeries
performed. |
| 1937
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Arrived in the
USA. Started a studio for painting in Flushing,
New York. He also began studying English at Brooklyn
Technical High School. |
| 1938
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Employed as a
draftsman at Cole Electric. |
| 1939
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Continued work
as a draftsman for Sparkman & Stephen, Naval
Architects in New York while he continued to paint. |
| 1941
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Enlisted in the
US Air Force and served in the Pacific until the
surrender of Japan. |
| 1947
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Returned home
and started to work in construction at George A.
Fuller Construction Company and began to paint
once again. He also started studies in architecture
at Columbia University in the evenings. |
| 1951
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Worked as a junior
architect for Professor Goodman designing synagogues. |
| 1952 |
Married Annette
De Marie and continued school while taking extra
courses at Fordham University. He also started
a studio in his father-in-law's house while he
painted architectural renderings. |
| 1953
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Began work as
assistant project manager with the architectural
firm of Shreve, Lamb & Harmon of The Empire
State Building fame. Also joined the art student
league school in painting with Barnet, Reilly &
others. |
| 1958
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Began work as
a project architect and designer for Rogers &
Butler Architects who are famed for the Columbia
Presbyterian and New York Hospital. He also designed
and built the renovation of 10,000,000 square feet
of office space for Morgan Guaranty Bank located
at 15 Broad street, and the adjacent building on
Nassau street. He also designed St. Mary's Home
in New York City, St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie,
New York and many others projects where art work
was incorporated into the design and fabrication.
He always made time on Saturdays to sketch in watercolor. |
| 1969 |
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Bernard Deschler visiting with Pope Paul
VI
after returning from his first trip to Nigeria.
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| 1970-1980
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Received
a commission to design a hospital in Nigeria for
the Irish Holy Ghost Fathers. This project led
to designing prefab housing and schools while he
started a new vocation as a lay deacon ministering
to the poor and the sick in the dioceses of Makurdy,
Nigeria. He also created a lot of watercolors which
reflected in his painting and sculptures. |
| 1972-1980
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He
taught rendering and design at the Pratt Institute
in New York night school. |
| 1980
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The
company he had been working for since 1958 had
a name change from Rogers and Butler Architects
to Rogers, Burgun, Shahine and Deschler Architects. |
| 1988 |
Ordained as a
deacon by Cardinal O'Connor at St. Patrick's in
New York on May 14. |
| 1990-present |
Retired
from office work and finally became a full-time
artist with studios in Breezy Point, New York and
Florida. |
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