Biography
John Schacht was born in Chicago in 1938. His family was very troubled, and they moved frequently. When Schacht was young, his parents divorced due to both his mom and dad suffering from alcoholism. Schacht moved to Florida with his mother during his early teenage years. Schacht became inspired by the oil paintings of local artists and decided to pursue art at the age of 13. In 1954, Schacht decided to leave high school and move back to Chicago to be with his father. This was the era when Schacht began to take painting seriously. In the early 1960s, Schacht held a plethora of jobs. One of these jobs was working for antique dealer Harry Lund. Lund helped Schacht further explore the art world and had a great influence on his aesthetic interests. This work also inspired Schacht to start a collection of objects, artworks, antiques, ceramics, religious, and cultural artifacts, some of which would be incorporated into his work. Between 1973 and 1977, Schacht moved between Indianapolis and Chicago. He worked part-time jobs at art venues and began to exhibit more regularly in the mid-1970s. In 1977, Schacht returned to Chicago and remained there until the 1980s. During this period, Schacht hosted "The Chapel of the Transfiguration" in a Russian Orthodox Church. This exposed him to Eastern religion and iconography, which would be represented in the artworks made during this time. In 1981, Schacht moved to Iowa. He continued to create artwork but exhibited less regularly. Schacht died in 2009 due to a heart attack at age 71.
Source of Biography
https://johnschacht.com/biography/
https://www.kohlerfoundation.org/preservation/major-collections/john-schacht/