Gerhard Voelkle

Gerhard Völkle was born in 1953 in
Lörrach, Germany. After completing his studies at the Kunstgewerbeschule
in Basel, he studied at the Kunstakademie in Bad Reichenhall. Inspired by the
volcanic rocks in the Spanish island of Lanzarote, he began painting with
rust.  The unpredictability of the
oxidation make his work dynamic and allows them to change and evolve overtime.

The connection to the island of
Lanzarote and the fascination with the volcanic rock found there, has long been
reflected in Völkle’s process. In his most recent works, which are created
under the series "Rust traces - Colored Oxidations", he turns his
attention more to the colors and the fire spewing from Lanzarote's mountains.

Völkle uses his rust painting technique in both sculptures
and on canvas.  The employment of rust as
a medium allows oxidation to take over each artwork and consequently creates an
unpredictable, everchanging surface. Each painting shows dynamic characters in
a variety of poses and in various states of movement.  The artist uses the absence of detail an
unconventional media that is always changing to emphasize silhouetted characters
that are also in perpetual motion.

Since 2001 his work has been exhibited in France,
Switzerland, and Germany. Notable collectors include New Zealand businesmann
Graeme Hart, and actor Jesse Tylor Ferguson. Gerhard Völkle lives and works in
Binzen, Germany.