Les Douches la Galerie is proud to present The Forces of Abstraction, a landmark exhibition celebrating the visionary work of Ernst Haas, a pioneer of color photography and one of the 20th century’s most celebrated photographers. The exhibition showcases approximately 20 vibrant color photographs, primarily taken in New York, and offers an intimate look at Haas’ most cherished and personal project: Abstract.
This exhibition coincides with the release of the newly published book Ernst Haas Abstract (Prestel, Fall 2024), an exquisitely produced volume that brings Haas’ most personal and least-known work to a wider audience for the first time.
Ernst Haas Abstract presents the photographer’s boldest and most poetic series, originally conceived in the 1970s as an audiovisual slideshow. Three decades after its completion, this groundbreaking project has been transformed into a beautifully designed book that reproduces Haas’ masterful use of color, light, and composition in stunning quality.

The collection spans images taken from 1952 to 1984, encompassing Haas’ entire career, and explores the mystery of daily life through meticulously crafted compositions of recognizable yet evocative surfaces—crumbling paint, graphic road markings, fabric, liquids, detritus, decay, and torn posters.
While the project is titled Abstract, many of the images feature clear, focused depictions of textures and forms from the observable world. An eloquent introductory essay by David Campany lays the groundwork for appreciating Haas’ vision, inviting readers to savor this long-overlooked body of work in a fresh and meaningful way. For fans of Kodachrome photography, this volume is both a visual delight and a profound exploration of Haas’ mastery of the medium.
The Abstract project, Haas’ most ambitious undertaking, represents the pinnacle of his career. Originally conceived as a multisensory experience, the project combined photography with music, notably the works of Hungarian composer György Ligeti, to create an audiovisual slideshow that dissolved images seamlessly into one another. This format underscored Haas’ belief in photography as a fluid, poetic, and dynamic art form. Speaking about the origins of this project, Alexander Haas, the photographer’s son, remarks:
“My father’s fascination with cinema and music shaped this work profoundly. He saw abstraction everywhere, from natural elements to urban textures, and he wanted to elevate those observations to an artistic level. The slideshow format brought him immense joy, and this book now allows a broader audience to appreciate that vision.”