David Gerstein (Israeli artist)
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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 1968 (1968 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.
Gerstein left Paris, making the "Big Apple" his new home. He immediately enrolled to the Art Students' League, but more importantly, he was there, in the midst of art and culture scene. The artistic happenings that were taken place in galleries, museums, and on the street, day and night, fully captured his attention. He absorbed the overwhelming vibrating artistic buzz, which much later would turn up in his own works. The art scene was ruled by artists like Jasper Johns who took abstract representative graphic signs such as numbers, letters, or symbols and turned them into pictorial compositions, revealing their painterly nature as images, while denying their symbolism and subjective identification. Dennis Oppenheim, the Conceptualist sculptor, took his large-scale sculptures out of the galleries into open spaces. Claes Oldenburg, like other Pop artists, rehabilitated the object by taking the most mundane, commercial products, radically changing their scale, and endorsing them with artistic and critical qualities. Towards the end the 1960s Conceptual Art ruled the American art scene, led by artist like Sol LeWitt and Yves Klein who insisted that the idea was the most important aspect of the work of art, more than the means of achieving it and more that the final artifact itself. These ideas did not appeal to Gerstein, who wished to create an object. He wanted to produce art in the traditional sense-art which has a physical presence in the world and which might start as the most abstract idea, but must materialize finally as a concrete being: "Since I was a child I wanted to make an object, something tangible to which people can relate, and use painting as a space for depicting objects". Remaining in the realm of concept has never meant art, for me personally." However, minimalist and abstract elements did influence and infiltrate his art, setting it free from form in its formalistic sense, and at the same time paving the way back to the figurative handling of abstract notions such as music and rhythm. In the environmentally oriented sculpture "Things That Come from the Heart"(2000), figurative elements like the birds and the cactus are born out of minimalist cut-outs of human figures in basic light colors standing in a row, repeating and echoing each anther.
In the early 1970s Gerstein returned to Israel, where the winds of Minimalism and Conceptualism had only started to blow. The Pop revolution in its full American or European sense was almost unfelt (apart from a few important examples as the work of Henry Shelesnyak, Raffie Lavie, Yair Garbouz and Zvi Tolkovsky). Gerstein: "When I returned from New York I was still very young. I immediately began teaching at Bezalel and I had to make a crucial decision for myself as an artist: should I turn to what is popular and accepted, meaning the minimalist, conceptual approaches, or go my own way and be less popular, for the moment at least.” Gerstein chose the second option and followed the circle of the painter Avrham Ofek, supporting a lyric realist style that was concerned with the local scenery and the local atmosphere. His palette was monochromatic. His paintings were occupied by theatrical almost dramatic intimate taking place inside urban apartments and viewed from their balconies. The light, the shade, the architectural style all played a part in those early, semi-realistic paintings. He also took as his subject matter, scenes from his childhood in the city and in places like the Dead Sea, where he explored, along with biographical themes, formal aesthetic notions as light and color. This preoccupation would take a central place in his later mature work.
. 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.
Exhibitions
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
References
Irena Gordon: "Boundless Painting"
External links
Official site http://www.davidgerstein.com
