David Gerstein Art

David Gerstein Guide

One of Israel’s most famous artists, David Gerstein is a painter and sculptor. His easily recognizable colorful sculptors can be found in museums and private homes and collections, as well as, in public spaces around the world. David Gerstein seeks to expand the limits of two- dimensional paintings into three-dimensional sculptures. His unique works have been given by Israel’s Foreign Ministry to heads of state around the world.

About David Gerstein

Born in Jerusalem he later moved with his family to Ramat Gan. He took an interest in art at a young age. Gerstein studied at Bezalel Academy of Arts in Jerusalem, Ècole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Art in Paris, France, and the Arts Student League in New York. He would later go on to receive his MA from St. Martin’s School of Art in London England, where he learned lithography and silk screen printing.

After years of painting, Gerstein sought to expand the borders of painting to the domain of the third-dimension and began experimenting in sculpture. He discovered that by painting on large scale cardboard he could cut and assemble the elements into a type of sculpture in space. The idea came to him while dismantling cardboard boxes containing cartridges. Following a number of sculptures from cardboard, Gerstein used wood and thin aluminum. In 1995 after years of woodcutting, Gerstein discovered the use of laser and began using them to cut metals which he would then paint using shiny colors taken from the car industries.

David Gerstein aspires to make art that speaks to the art world but still remains accessible to the everyday man on the street. His unique style comes from his desire to expand the limits of two- dimensional art into three-dimensional sculpture, and the inspiration he gets from Israel. His works are most well-known for his spectacular use of color which comes from his desire to copy nature.

Designs and Techniques

David Gerstein creates colorful and layered images of urban landscapes, still-life compositions, and human activities. His works consist of indoor wall sculpture s created from multi- layered cutouts, outdoor works, sculptors, paintings, and prints. His works range from the functional small objects such as bowls and menorahs to wall sculptures, free standing sculptures, paintings, and prints. Using everything from paper to steel and other metals, Gerstein uses lasers to precisely cut out designs that are then painted either by hand or through a variety of serigraphy and screen printing techniques before they are layered to create his final designs.

Drawing inspiration from Israeli life, Gerstein’s works retain local and autobiographical elements. Common themes include butterflies, flowers, bicycles, music, human behavior, windows, and Judaica symbols such as the hamsa.