Whether depicting 1950s-era pin-up models against candy-colored polka dot backgrounds, neon signs, bottle caps, Mickey Mouse, pulp Westerns or matchbooks, Geoffrey Gersten’s vintage pop culture subject matter transports viewers to a time when, one might argue, the aesthetics of design had an unmatched visual appeal, and thus endures to this day.
Paradise Pocket Watch, oil on custom cut panels, 34 x 44 in.
His latest body of work, on view at Altamira Fine Art from January 6 through January 17, continues in this vein, drawing inspiration from objects of the past that evoke a nostalgia balanced by Gersten’s bold contemporary style.
“Retro Reverieinvites us into a dreamlike era of American optimism, where design, desire and imagination collide in living color,” says gallery owner Jason Williams about the show. “Geoffrey Gersten captures that sense of wonder with a painter’s precision and a storyteller’s heart. His works transform familiar relics, such as matchbooks, toys [and] watches, into portals of memory where the gloss of Americana meets the patina of time.
We Aim to Please, oil on linen, 60 x 60 in.
“Gersten’s paintings aren’t just about nostalgia, they’re about rediscovering the beauty of things once ordinary,” Williams continues. “Each surface hums with his signature sheen and cinematic light, reminding us that the past wasn’t simpler—it was brighter, bolder and endlessly inventive. In Retro Reverie, Geoffrey doesn’t replicate history, he reanimates it, giving pop culture artifacts the dignity and intimacy of fine art.”
A reception for Retro Reverie will be held during Scottsdale ArtWalk on Thursday, January 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. —
Altamira Fine Art 7038 E. Main Street • Scottsdale, AZ 85251 • (480) 949-1256 • www.altamiraart.com
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