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 Vallarta Living | Art Talk | February 2008 
"Al Natural" at Sol y Luna Art Gallery
 Alejandro Baez - PVNN
| | Featuring paintings inspired by the natural world around him, David Kerstetter's One Man Show, Al Natural: A Contemplation of Beauty, opens February 6th at Sol y Luna Fine Contemporary Art Gallery in downtown Puerto Vallarta. | | |
David Kerstetter's One Man Show, Al Natural: A Contemplation of Beauty, opens at Sol y Luna Fine Contemporary Art Gallery in downtown Puerto Vallarta on February 6th.
Kerstetter's inspiration comes directly from the natural world around him, especially the gorgeous tropical vegetation of Mexico and the flawless vivacity of the young adult male.
Surrounded by the lush sensuality of his vibrant flowers, we feel we are standing in the Garden of Eden, as if fragrance exudes from the petals quivering in a breeze. In his figurative work, his males seem to sigh in their sleep or invite you closer for a confidence.
David's flowers or figures seem to be lit from within, distilled to an essence of pristine beauty. His technique of blending colors requires infinite focus and patience; there is no visible brush stroke.
He terms his style of painting flowers "abstract realism," which is to say that the subject is real but the close up perception allows it to appear abstract. He is attracted to the fluidity of the shapes and the movement they provide while remaining true to color and form.
Composition and design play a large role also. David will often paint the entire object if the composition appeals to him. In doing this, the subject becomes more realistic and recognizable, thereby relating more to realism than the abstract. Thus David's artwork is a constant play of realism and abstraction.
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Influenced by Georgia O'Keeffe, David prefers to stay more true to the actual forms and colors that exist in the real object. The challenge for him is looking past the obvious and allowing the subject to present itself in a unique way.
David can feel in an instant when something is going to be a good subject to paint but he may take hundreds of photographs trying to capture the balance between movement and repose, light and shade. He began to concentrate on the figurative work as a diversion from the flowers, each painted with exquisite detail.
The story of how his art career started is unusual. When he was in the Coast Guard, he used to do caricatures of people on the ship. Whenever an officer was transferred to another location, the captain would take him off normal duties to do a caricature of that officer as a going away gift.
He realized then that he could make a career out of art and decided to study it in college when he got out of the service. He received his BA in Fine Arts from U of Cal in Hayward, then worked as a graphic artist for 15 years prior to his career as a fine artist. He has since shown in galleries all over the US.
Alejandro Baez, Owner and Director of Sol y Luna Art Galleries in Puerto Vallarta is delighted to present David Kerstetter's artwork in a One Man Show opening Wednesday, February 9th from 6 to 10 pm. The show will remain on display through Tuesday the 22nd.
Sol y Luna Contemporary Art is at Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez 155 A in downtown Puerto Vallarta. For more information, call (322) 113-0475 send an email to solylunapv(at)yahoo.com or visit
SolyLunaPV.com. |
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