David Gerstein (Israeli artist)

A sculpture by David Gerstein in a Sculpture garden in Ramat Hasharon, Israel

David (Dudu) Gerstein (דוד (דודו) גרשטיין b. Jerusalem, 1944) is an Israeli sculptor. He works in different metals and other materials. He's also a painter and an illustrator. His works are worldwide recognized.

A painter and a sculptor, an excellent draughtsman and a craftsman, the Israeli artist David Gerstein seeks to expand the limits of the two-dimensional paintings into three-dimensional sculptures. In his choice of subject matter he wishes to break down the existing barriers between the work of art and its audience, by creating enchanted and simple straight forward images, which render sometimes intimate, dream-like, naïve scenes and another times a cinematic, large scale, choreographed reality. His easily recognizable artistic syntax have developed gradually, reflecting a search for a unique voice, which ranges from local to the universal. His art maintains a conscious interplay between the hand-made "original", "unique" work of art and the reproduced work of art; between high art and low art. Gerstein creates universal colorful and layered images of still-life compositions, urban landscapes and human activity, witch always retain local and autobiographical elements. His versatile body of works consist of indoors wall-sculptures formed as multi-layered cutouts, outdoor works, sculptures, paintings, prints, drawings, and designed objects including jewelry, which can be found in Museums and galleries, indoor and outdoor public as well as artifacts and design shops in Israel and around the world.

Biography

Gerstein was born in Jerusalem in 1944. Gerstein started his art studies in the mid-1960s, when he was twenty-one years old, at Bezalel School of Art in Jerusalem, which was then more graphics and craft inclined than pure plastic arts oriented. Finding it too confining and set apart from international scene, he decided to go out and "conquer" the world, making Paris his natural first stop, like other Israeli artists before him such as Lea Nikel, Yehiel Shemi and Igael Tumarkin. They all searched to break away from the narrow borders of the local scene, and found their way to Paris, the pre-war capital of art. Gerstein studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts where he labored on acquiring the very "profession" of painting, as he says, in its most classical and traditional sense. He took part, as a student, in the Parisian Student Revolution of 19681968 student riots, working on the posters and the propaganda leaflets. Still, in spite of the political vibe and Post-War French Abstract art, he soon realized, after visiting exhibitions of American Artists such as those of Jackson Pollock and Barnett Newman, that the forefront of the art world had long ago shifted to New York City. There, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art and Minimalism had flourished and ruled the 1950s and 1960s, drastically changing the face of art, its raw materials and subject matter.

and at the Arts Students League, New York. In 1973 he did post graduate studies at St. Martin's School of Art, London. He was a Senior Lecturer at the Bezalel Academy from 1971 to 1985.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

1971 Engel Gallery, Jerusalem.

1972 The Artists' House, Jerusalem.

1980 Horace Richter Gallery, Tel Aviv.

1982 Horace Richter Gallery, Tel Aviv.

1984 Radius Gallery, Tel Aviv (a member of Radius Group).

1987 Israel Museum, Jerusalem ("From Dudu to 3-D") Albert White Gallery, Toronto.

1988 Haifa Museum of Contemporary Art ("Frames").

1989 Herzliya Museum ("Totems") - Albert White Gallery, Toronto - "Art 20" International Art Fair, Basel.

1992 Yavneh Art Workshop ("Pupils") - "Art Frankfurt" International Art Fair.

1993 Ashdod Museum ("Extended Pupils").

1994 Rosenfeld Gallery, Tel Aviv ("Cutouts").

1995 "Art Multiple", Dűsseldorf Conzen Gallery, Dűsseldorf.

1996 Center of Performing Arts, Tel Aviv - Moria Gallery, Washington D.C. - "Art Multiple", Dűsseldorf - Zimmermann und Heitmann Gallery, Dortmund - Breitbach Gallery, Unna.

1997 "Encircled People", Rosenfeld Gallery, Tel Aviv - Conzen Gallery, Dűsseldorf - Galerie IM Kornbrennerei Museum, Telgte - Edition of Art, Innsbruck Gallery 33, Essen - Gallery Ostendorf, Műnster.

1998 Gallery Regenbogen, Stuttgart - Gallery Menzel, Bad Honef - Gallery Auf der Treppe, Limburg - Gallery Konig, Darmstadt.

1999 Ambassador Gallery, Palm Beach, FL - Gallery Silecchia, Sarasota, FL - Newbury Fine Art Gallery, Boston - Stricoff Gallery, New York - Aduko France Fine Art, Lyon - Art Symbol, Paris - Art Seiler, St Paul de Vence - Gallery Plakart, Frankfurt - Gallery Veith, Ludwigsburg - Gallery Hohmann, Koln - Gallery Krombholz, Koln.

2000 Gallery 33, Essen - Gallery Fischerplatz, Ulm – Galerie de Cannes, Cannes - Art Symbol, Paris - Danielle Peleg, West Bloomfield - MI Gallery "PZ", Krefeld.

2001 New River Gallery, Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Galleria Silecchia, Sarasota, New York - Newbury Fine Art, Boston - Barrington Gallery of London, New York.

2001 “Tango Sur Seine”, paintings, Artists House, Jerusalem.

2001 “Pixul”, Art Gallery at The Memorial Center, Kiriat Tivon.

2001 “The Private Sector”, Meirov Municipal Art Gallery, Holon.

2002 “Balance Trial”, The Municipal Gallery “On the Cliff”, Netania.

2002 Osklen Multimedia Space, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

2002 Peter’s Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus.

2002 Mensing Gallery, Hamm, Germany.

2002 “No Favorite Color”, Street Installation during Documenta, Kassel , Germany.

2003 Nord L/B Gallery, Hannover, Germany.

2003 Nouances et Lumiere Gallery, Lyon, France.

2003 Clube A Hebrica, Sao-Paulo, Brazil

2003 Galery Genner-Duisburg, germany

2003 "Typical Section" Art Center at Ma'alot, Israel

2003 Art Symbol Galery, Paris, France

2004 Galerie Am-Dom, Wetzlar, Germany

2004 Star Gallery, East Sussex, England

2004 Ostendorf, Munster, Germany

2004 "In constant movement" Municipal Gallery, Ness-Tsiona, Israel

2004 Galeria Kreisler, Madrid, Spain

2004 Gstaad Adler, Geneva, Switzerland

2005 Mensing Galleries in Hamburg, Berlin, Hanover, Germany

2005 Coda Gallery, Palm Desert, CA, USA

2005 Galerie Nuance et Lumiere, Lyon, France

2006 Due-Diligence, Stadtische Galerie im Park, Viersen, Germany

2007 Gana art gallery, Seoul, Korea

2007 Gallery Ermanno Tedeshi, Milan, Italy

2007 The Catto gallery, England

2007 Mensing Galleries in Dusseldorf, Munich & Hambourg, Germany

2007 Rollebeek Gallery 28, Brussels, Belgium

2008 Ermanno Tedeshi Gallery - Milan, Italy

2008 Gana art gallery, Seoul, Korea

2008 Mensing Galleries in Dusseldorf, Frankfurt & Hambourg, Germany

2008 Ermanno Tedeshi Gallery, Rome, Italy

2008 Mairie de Hesperange - Luxembourg

2008 Rollebee Gallery 28, Brussels, Belgium

2008 Gana Gallerry, Busan - Korea

2008 Cultural Center, Modiin, Israel

Selected Group Exhibitions

1972 The Print Biennale, Florence.

1973 "Israeli Graphic Art Today", Tel Aviv Museum.

1981 "Four Artists", Sara Gilat Gallery, Jerusalem.

1983 "New Acquisitions", Israel Museum, Jerusalem - The Triennale of Israeli Graphic Art, Haifa Museum - "New Prints", Jerusalem Print Shop.

1985 "Four Sculptors", Aika Braun Gallery, Jerusalem - "Towards a Godless Myth", Artists' House, Jerusalem.

1986 "There are no Bad Animals", travelling exhibition, Omanut La'am - "Artists on Miluim (Army Reserves)", Debel Gallery, Ein Kerem.

1987 "Flags", Israel Festival, Jerusalem - "Towards a New Israeli Realism", Uri and Rami Nechushtan Museum, Kibbutz Ashdot Ya'akov - "Four Artists", Meimad Gallery, Tel Aviv - "Quotation-Painting-Quotation", Museum of Israeli Art, Ramat Gan - "Six Israeli Artists", Billboard Sculptures, Israel 40th Anniversary, Fairs Center, Tel Aviv.

1988 "Haifa, Portrait of a City", Haifa Museum of Contemporary Art - International Biennale of Graphic Art, Ljubliana.

1989 "Via Maris", Bat Yam Museum - "These Sabras", Municipal Gallery, Jerusalem - "Artists' Studios", Aika Brown Gallery, Jerusalem.

1990 "Health and Long Life", Humor in Israeli art, Omanut La'am, travelling exhibition - "Leaves", Artists' House, Jerusalem.

1991 "Who's Afraid of Kitsch?", Yad Labanim Museum, Ra'anana.

1992 "Homage to the Cit?", Artists House, Jerusalem "Flowers", Omanut La'am, travelling exhibition "Receptacle and Contents", Artists' House, Jerusalem.

1993 "Persistent Image", Haifa Museum of Contemporary Art, Bat Yam Museum - "Childhood Reminiscence", Memorial Center in Kiryat Tivon - "Tel Aviv in the Tracks of the Bauhaus", the old building of the "Ha'aretz" newspaper, Tel Aviv.

1994 "Israeli Sculpture, The Last Decade", Tefen Museum.

1995 "Object-Object: Dialogue between Art and Design", Municipal Gallery, Kfar Sava - Ashdod Museum.

1996 "Local Line" Neve Tsedek Gallery, Tel Aviv - "Art Multiples 96'", Dusseldorf.

1997 "Box", Israel Museum, Youth Wing, Jerusalem - "When the Dinosaur Met the Bird", Bat Yam Museum - "Samson and Delilah", Ashdod Museum.

1998 “Look at the Vase”, Arad Museum Land Marksn - Open Museum, Teffen.

1999 “End 2000”, Haifa.

2000 “Public Art”, Givataim – “The Year of Brand ‘, The Villa, Jaffa – “I Have a Dream”, The Holon Interdisciplinary Center for Art and Science.

2001 “Childhood”, Waddi Nisnass, Haifa.

2001 “Balances”, The Tel Aviv District Court.

2001 “Work in the Eyes”, Ha’Shfela Museum, Kfar Menahem.

2001 “Betzelem”, Ten Years to the Organization, Givatayim Theatre.

2002 “The Dolphins Project”, Tel Aviv.

2002 “The Lyons Project”, Jerusalem.

2002 “An Homage To Yoseph Hirsh” Tel Aviv’s Artist’s House.

2002 “Markers”, The Electricity Company in Kassel, Germany.

2002 “Markers”, Jerusalem Theatre and Yaalom Theatre.

2002 “Sculpture as Toy”, Bat Yam, Arad, Ashdod, Rechovot, Kfar Saba Museums.

2002 “Art on the Line”, for the Haifa Museum of Art Friends.

2002 “W.C. Environment”, The Stage Arts Center, The Opera House, Tel Aviv.

Selected art in Public Spaces

1985 "Bicycle Rider", Hebrew University, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem.

1988 Sculptural children's playground, Weiller Park, Jerusalem.

1989 "The White Rider", City of Lod.

1992 "Kiosk", Israel Museum, Jerusalem - Six sculptures at Avdat archeological site, the Negev.

1993 "Great Tree", billboard project in Ramat Hasharon - Wall relief, main office of the Electric Company, Jerusalem.

1994 "Ladder of Motives", Open Museum, Tefen.

1995 Two wall pieces for Bank Leumi, Tel Aviv - "The Flower Vase", Bank Leumi, Rehovot - "Jacob's Ladder", Israel Festival, Jerusalem.

1995 Tree of Donors, The Science Museum, Jerusalem.

1996 "Scientific Orange", Rehovot shopping & central bus station Mall Israel Festival, Jerusalem "Head Within a Head", the Hebrew University, Jerusalem - "Island of Flowers", Brigada Street, Herzliya.

1997 "Above the Head", Installation, Hebrew University Givat Ram, Jerusalem - "City Square", Center of Performing Arts, Tel Aviv "Pupils", Dizengoff Street, Tel Aviv.

1998 “Cow”, Raanana Park, Raanana, “Cats Hill”, Neve Amal, Herzliya.

1999 “A Whole World”, Hebrew University, Jerusalem – “The Bus”, Hebrew University, Jerusalem - Homage to Alterman, Dizingoff Street, Tel Aviv.

2000 “Audience”, Jerusalem Theater, Jerusalem.

2001 “Day and Night”, Bezeq Lobby, Azrieli Center, Tel Aviv.

2001 “Colors from Nature”, Horev Center, Haifa.

2001 “Things that come from the Heart” (sculptures), Ramat Alon Park, Haifa.

2002 “Soul Bird”, Holon.

2002 “Digital Zabar”, Waddi Nisnass, Haifa.

2002 “No Favorite Color”, 3 months Installation, Kassel, Germany.

2002 “Shalom On Israel”, Rabin Building, Judaism Center, Hebrew University, Jerusalem.

2003 “Blue Mermaid”, Kiryat Yam, Haifa.

2003 "Rush Hour", Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

2005 "Sun Rise" High School, Ashkelon, Israel

2005 "Butterflies", Harel, High School, Mevaseret, Israel

2007 "Ohel Moed", Sculpture Park, kibbutz Hatzerim, negev, Israel

2008 "Momentum" CBD, Singapore

2008 "Star City", Seoul, Korea

2008 "Field of Butterflies" Loby of "Beit Reich", Tel AViv, Israel

2008 6 sculptures ("Sport Island"), Netanya, Israel

Selected other Projects

1978-84 Illustrations for children's books.

1991 Design of "Winged Paint-Tube", gift of the Israel Museum to its donors on the occasion of its 25th anniversary Designed object-sculpture for the exhibition.

1993 "To Live in Jerusalem", Israel Museum, Jerusalem Curator of "Artist Fosters Artist" exhibition, Artists' House, Jerusalem.

1994 Performance with Anat Shamgar (dance) and Jean Claude Jones (cello), Habama Theater - One-year calendar for Flying Cargo (Fed-Ex) Company Illustrations for Ha'aretz and Kol Ha'ir newspapers.

1996 Billboards for "American Express".

1997 Series of Brooches.

2002 Objects created for “Doolittle Articles” Company.

2002 Renew of Brooches by “2Doo” Company.

2004 Sculptures to the "Rabin Medical Center", Israel

2004 Collection of paper products with Gerstein Design by Dornat

2004 "Journey inot the Body" Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel

2005 Book jackets for Ruvik Rosenthal "Comprehensive Dictionary of Hebrew Idioms", and for Orly Castel-Bloom "No arguments with rice".

2006 Objects created for "Eden Fine Art Gallery"

2007 Greeting cards - The Israeli post

2007 One-Year calendar for Palphot company, Israel

2008 One-Year calendar for Kolon company, Korea

2008 One-Year calendar for Palphot company, Israel

2008 David Gerstein/Sculptures - Book

External links

Official site http://www.davidgerstein.com