Antonia Gerstacker
Encyclopedia
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
), better known as "Art Girl", is a renowned 21st century American abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
naive
Naïve art
Naïve art is a classification of art that is often characterized by a childlike simplicity in its subject matter and technique. While many naïve artists appear, from their works, to have little or no formal art training, this is often not true...
artist and mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
ist. Antonia began her art career in the 1990s. In the 1980s she was often photographed as an international fashion model beginning a career in fashion at an early age. She worked and lived in United States, Paris, Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. Antonia became noted for her artworks of bright, vividly colored paintings and large murals.
Early life
Antonia Gerstacker was born in Houston, Texas. Antonia is the third daughter of her parents, Anton Gerstacker and Sharon Kay Gerstacker née Holt. Her mother's ancestors were architects, musicians and artists. Antonia's parents divorced when she was 4. Her stepfather James Kilmoyer raised her. Antonia was baptized Lutheran. Antonia has two older sisters Heidi and Gretel. The young Antonia showed a passion and a skill for drawing from an early age, at the age of 8 she received a Certificate of Merit in recognition of outstanding achievement in the 1977 School Art Program.1980s
Antonia's mother enrolled her in The Page Parkes School of Modeling in Houston, Texas where she was awarded Antonia for Outstanding Achievement in Professional Modeling and the 1984 Honor Graduates Most Likely to Succeed in July 1984. Upon acceptance by many international agencies, her family decided to send Gerstacker to Paris. In September 1984, Antonia was and signed with Marilyn Gautier Modeling Agency. At the age of 14, she was hired by many leaders in the fashion industry to represent editorialEditorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
and runway
Runway (fashion)
Runway or catwalk describes a narrow, usually flat platform that runs into an auditorium, used by models to demonstrate clothing and accessories during a fashion show In fashion jargon, "what's on the catwalk" or similar phrasing can refer to whatever is new and popular in fashion.- Exclusive...
fashion.
Antonia achieved her first public attention where she appeared in many magazines throughout Europe and the US, some of which include: Dépêche Mode (December 1988), International Clic(Nov/Dec1984), Brautmoden Marriages (Winter 1988-1989). In 1986 and 1987, Antonia traveled and worked in Barcelona and Madrid, Spain. In 1988 Antonia worked in Milan, receiving her first cover on the magazine Zeffiro (May 1988). Her second cover on the US magazine Detour (September 1989) gave Antonia the opportunity to work in Venezuela. She also appeared on the cover Ultra (October 1990) with Fashion Designer Bill Blass
Bill Blass
William Ralph "Bill" Blass was an American fashion designer, born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is known for his tailoring and his innovative combinations of textures and patterns...
. Southern Bride (July–September 1989), Glamour (October 1990), and D Magazine (September 1989) were some others. Her runway work included Donna Karan
Donna Karan
Donna Karan is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels.-Early life:...
, Sonia Rykiel
Sonia Rykiel
Sonia Rykiel née Flis is a French fashion designer.Ethnically a Polish-Romanian Jew, Sonia Rykiel was born in Neuilly a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, the eldest of five daughters of a Polish mother and a Romanian father. At the age of 17, she was employed to dress the window...
and many professionals and successful photographers. The late 1980s brought Gerstacker to Miami, Florida to model for German catalogs.
1990s
In 1990, Antonia got her first job in the art field in the framing department of a well-established company called Rex Art. Gerstacker immediately bonded with owners Aaron and Anna Morris, patrons and supporters of the arts who encouraged her work greatly.She participated in the Miami Arts Asylum exhibition "What is Love?" in December 1990 at the infamous nightclub Cameo Theater, Miami Beach. She contributed in "Art Asylum Hits the Streets", where the artists posted artworks on an abandoned building on Ocean Drive
Ocean Drive (South Beach)
Ocean Drive is a street in South Beach—the southern part of Miami Beach, Florida. It is known for its Art Deco hotels. Ocean Drive is also the location of the famed , one of the most photographed houses in North America. The street is the center of the city's Art Deco District, which is home to...
and had first exclusive exhibition was at Miami Alliance Cinema Gallery: "I’m Not an Angel", Miami Beach, 1994. Her murals and paintings adorn the walls and facades of many Miami's private homes, cafés, restaurants, business buildings and nightclubs. She painted the large mural sign on Tobacco Road, Miami's Oldest Bar, Restaurant and Cabaret. She painted The Beehive Restaurant on Lincoln Road, which was reviewed as Best of the Beach: Summer ‘94/Best window display Boyz Magazine (August 1994). She made an appearance on the Mr. Stock & Mr. Poe TV show in August 1995, and the Danny Jessup TV show in January 1996.
Gerstacker began to work with Churchill's English Pub in 1992. She was chosen to create a poster in August 1995 for "Churchill's and The Beast and Baker, The 1st Annual Miami Rock Festival" and designed the 9th one in 2003. She also covered the entire back patio with large vibrant murals, one creation of three skeletons playing musical instrument depicting the Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in many cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains the quality...
and the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
system titled "Underground", another of large painting of the world, titled " Around the World", a large red heart painted on a symbol of a black flag titled "Secret Heart" and other bright playful images.
Mike Wood
Michael Roy Wood is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen since 1997. He is a member of the left-wing Socialist Campaign Group, and is considered one of the more independently minded Labour MPs.-Early life:He is the son of Rowland Wood, a foundry...
's Miami Jazz Jam logo. Miami Jazz Jam hosted live jazz musicians every Monday night. During this time, Gerstacker began playing electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
solo and with other local musical groups and musicians.
Churchill's was the first venue to host Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
, The Mavericks
The Mavericks
The Mavericks is a country music band founded in 1989 in Miami, Florida, United States. Between 1991 and 2003 they recorded six studio albums, in addition to charting 14 singles on the Billboard country charts...
and Iron and Wine. It was also featured in the film There's Something about Mary, starring Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
and Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress and former model. She became famous during the 1990s with roles in the movies The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, and There's Something About Mary. Other high-profile credits include the two Charlie's Angels films, voicing the character Princess Fiona...
, and music videos by Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, P-Diddy and Ziggy Marley
Ziggy Marley
David "Ziggy" Marley is a Jamaican musician and leader of the band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. He is the oldest son of famed reggae musician Bob Marley...
. It was awarded Best of Miami New Times Best Rock Club 1999 through 2008. Antonia's dedicated stay at Churchill's promoting the art and music scene lead her murals to be shown in the Jim Jones, P Diddy, Paul Wall
Paul Wall
Paul Michael Slayton , better known by his stage name Paul Wall, is an American rapper. He is currently affiliated with Swishahouse Records, having released several albums under the label as well as...
, Jka Jha Feat national music video "Whatcha Been Drankin On" published in 2005. Antonia departed Churchill's in 2005 when an out-of-court settlement agreement was reached that pertained to copyright infringements of the murals Antonia had painted. The murals had been painted over.
Antonia's passion for music led her to creating artworks and designs for the music industry. She painted the logo for of The Beast and Baker Show, a local Saturday night Radio Show on WAXY 790 AM, which aired local, regional and national acts from 1995 till 1997. The show's logo consisted of two comical lions chatting with each other in her stylistic black and white signature. This increased her artwork exposure throughout local newspapers and magazines. Beast & Baker brought The Merman, Dick Dale
Dick Dale
Dick Dale is an American surf rock guitarist, known as The King of the Surf Guitar. He experimented with reverberation and made use of custom made Fender amplifiers, including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier.-Early life:Dale was born in South Boston, Massachusetts and lived in nearby...
, and Los Straitjackets to Miami, and besides giving a big push to national surf music
Surf music
Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...
acts, the duo promote local music.
Another accomplishment of Antonia's was the commission by Bubba Lunzar, Jr. to paint new artworks and signs for Jimbo's, located on Virginia Keys, Florida. A favorite get-a-way since 1954. Music video shoots, models and photographers, television shows and motion pictures are shot on location at Jimbo's every week. A horror film named Island Claws in 1980 built the infamous shacks and left them there. Among the notables are movies Blood and Wine, Wild Things
Wild Things
Wild Things is a 1998 erotic thriller film starring Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, Kevin Bacon, Denise Richards, Theresa Russell and Bill Murray. It was directed by John McNaughton. In some countries the film was released as Sex Crimes...
, Porky's II, Ace Ventura, True Lies
True Lies
True Lies is a 1994 American action-comedy film directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Tia Carrere, Charlton Heston, and Art Malik. Eliza Dushku also appears in the film in one of her first major film roles...
, 2 Fast 2 Furious
2 Fast 2 Furious
2 Fast 2 Furious is a 2003 street racing action film directed by John Singleton. It is the second film in The Fast and the Furious film series following The Fast and the Furious . It stars Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Devon Aoki, and Chris Bridges; and was directed by John Singleton. The...
. TV shows included Flipper
Flipper
Flipper may refer to:Film & Television:*Flipper , a film about an extremely intelligent bottlenose dolphin named Flipper, starring Chuck Connors and Luke Halpin...
, Gentle Ben
Gentle Ben
Gentle Ben is a children's novel by author Walt Morey, first published in 1965. The book concerns the friendship between the title character, a bear, and a young boy named Mark...
, Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
, Glades, Going To California
Going to California
"Going to California" is a song performed by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their fourth album, released in 1971.-Overview:The song's wistful folk-style sound, with Robert Plant on lead vocals, acoustic guitar by Jimmy Page and mandolin by John Paul Jones, contrasts with the heavy...
, Karen Sisco
Karen Sisco
Karen Sisco is a television series about a fictional United States Marshal created by novelist Elmore Leonard.As a U.S. Deputy Marshal, based on Miami, Florida's Gold Coast, Karen must deal with the underbelly of South Beach nightlife and Palm Beach highlife while tracking down fugitives. She also...
, CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
. Videos by Ziggy Marley, JayLo, Who Let the Dogs Out?
Who Let the Dogs Out?
"Who Let the Dogs Out?" is a song written and originally recorded by Anslem Douglas for Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival season of 1998. It was heard and taped on a float by hairdresser Keith from the London salon Smile, who played it to Jonathan King, who recorded it and released it under the name...
, Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray is a band from Orange County, California. The band, starting off more as an alternative metal band, first gained fame in 1997 with their release of the song "Fly". This song's success, coupled with its pop rock sound that was quite different from the rest of their material at the time,...
. Photos of Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
's first album cover, Jisel, Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum
Heidi Samuel , better known by her birth name Heidi Klum, is a German model, actress, television host, businesswoman, fashion designer, television producer, and occasional singer. In 2008 she became an American citizen while maintaining her native German citizenship...
, Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world...
. Every year since 1997 Antonia has showcased her artworks at the Jimbo's Annual Birthday party, again supporting the music and arts in Miami.
Artist Roseta Santiago de Marcellus hired Antonia in 1993 though 1994 as an apprentice, where she learned the skills of painting large murals, commercial commissioned projects and faux finishes. After Roseta Santiago de Marcellus moved to Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Gerstacker ran her own art studio called "Antonia Studio" from 1994 to 1997 in Brickell, Miami. During the early 1990s Antonia began to paint abstract naïve
Naïve art
Naïve art is a classification of art that is often characterized by a childlike simplicity in its subject matter and technique. While many naïve artists appear, from their works, to have little or no formal art training, this is often not true...
pop art
Pop art
Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art...
styled paintings in very bright colors. Most of the paintings were comical in nature. Gerstacker then began to paint large murals with increasing demand for her positive style work.
In the fall of 1996 Antonia closed her art studio "Antonia Studio" after difficulties with the Downtown Development and City of Miami in which both induced her to paint public art projects. An article by Janel Shoun, Miami Today, week of Thursday, August 8, 1996 wrote "Artist Antonia Gerstacker, who has leased a studio above Tobacco Road for three years, is looking for corporate sponsors to support development of artwork in the Brickell Village area. Her first project will be on a 120-foot wall on South Miami Avenue at Ninth Street. She has created a colorful design incorporating the Downtown Development Authority's official symbol for the area, the Tequesta Indian". Antonia later received compensation through a judgment in court for payment from The Downtown Development Authority but was never rectified from The City of Miami for all the damages.
In 1997 Antonia became a board member of The Cultural Development Group, a non-profit organization founded by Aaron Morris. It was created to assist emerging and cultural organizations and individuals in all areas of the arts. She was the 1st Merrick Festival Poster Artist, in April 1998. The original painting was purchased at The Cultural Development Group Members Auction to benefit their Disadvantaged Children and the Visual Arts Program sponsored by Republic National Bank, Johnnie Walker Gold, Christy's and Two Sisters at the Hyatt, by the City of Coral Gables Mayor William Kerdyk.
In 1999 and 2004 Antonia presented two collections "Animal Kingdom" and "Seaside Escapades", a series of paintings sponsored by The Cultural Development Group and private art patrons to The Jackson Miami Children's Hospital, where they are on permanent display including a plaque with the names of the sponsors. Artist Daniel Garcia
Daniel García
Daniel García Córdova is a Mexican race walker. He was born in Córdoba, Veracruz.-Achievements:-References:*...
and Antonia Gerstacker continued to work with children and Children's Home Society and Jackson Children's Hospital. On several occasions Gerstacker received grants from The Cultural Development Group, to paint with the children sponsored by The Children's Cancer Fund, founded in January 1993 by a group of doctors, nurses and parents to foster research in childhood cancer and enrich the quality of life for children with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
by improving clinical and support services. CCF is based at New York Medical College
New York Medical College
New York Medical College, aka New York Med or NYMC, is a private graduate health sciences university based in Westchester County, New York, a suburb of New York City and a part of the New York Metropolitan Area...
/Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York.
2000
By the 2000s Gerstacker had painted roughly 1000 paintings, all of which she sold to friends, acquaintances and art collectors. She continued her solo art exhibitions. The Luna Star Café and Gallery, a trendy popular hangout for artists and musicians, invited her to exhibit three times. These exhibitions "Super Sonic", "The Goodbye Girl" and "Girl of Art" took place in 1997, 2000 and 2001. Each exhibit filled up the entire café with bright paintings. The cafe brought many art lovers from the Museum of Contemporary Arts, North Miami to view Antonia's artworks.In 2001 Leadership Miami and the Inner City Youth Center Miami Youth Center assigned a project to her in which she organised area youth at the Edison High School to paint a large, vibrant mural on the school's sports grounds. The murals were created and painted to provide a feeling of empowerment to the children and their families. In 2002, she painted the outside of the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
/ Allapattah, Miami with the after-school children.
Antonia participated in The 2nd Art in the Tropics that was held in December 2001. Performers included Nicole Yarling, The Actors’ Playhouse Musical Miracles, Jumpstreet 88s featuring Piano Bob and Stan Street, Cache, Hugo Martinez and the South Florida premiere of classical singer Teresa Williams with arranger/pianist Ramon Dominquez. The "Certified South Florida Artists" were: Berta Cabarrocas Alfonso, Danielle Aurprix, Ambrosio Martin Art Collection, Sam Bayles, Steven Dini, Alicia Cabarrocas Francisco, Daniel C. Garcia, Antonia Gerstacker, Eduardo Jose Henriquez de Pool, Carmelo Prado, Israel Siam, Michael Bennett Stern, Pablo A. Velasco, Wayne Whittlesey and the poster artist, Josie Lynn Martinez.
In 2004 and 2005, Gerstacker worked in information and catalog sales for ArtBasel Miami Beach. The world's premier international art show for modern and contemporary
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
works.[16] She had a solo exhibition in the lobby of Ios of the Bay, "Be There or Be Square" in 2006, for the grand opening of the prestigious luxury condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
s sponsored by local patrons of the arts. Her paintings were a collection of different styles. The exhibit was from her Five Stars Collection. Much of the paintings were approximately 3 ft × 3 ft or smaller. The subjects of the paintings were about romance and the beauty of the sea. It was at this show Antonia painted her painting "Water Flowers".
Haitian Artist Jude Papaloko Thegenius invited her to participate in an exhibition at his Jakmal Art Gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
. The show consisted of collaboration of woman artists in the summer of 2006. Antonia entered two pieces titled "Angel" and the other of the "Mother Mary" painted on wood using oil pastels and acrylic paint
Acrylic paint
Acrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry...
s. The paintings were on exhibit for the entire month, one of which she sold and the other is kept in her own private collection. Art patrons Alfredo and Graciele Zayden hired Antonia for the entire year of 2006. She committed to paint murals and signs on the entire outside of their business Frame Art, Inc. Gallery and Frame Shop located in Brickell. The building stands two stories tall and is approximately 200 ft long. She painted the murals and signs in sign painter's paint and learned the skill of gold leaf
Gold leaf
right|thumb|250px|[[Burnishing]] gold leaf with an [[agate]] stone tool, during the water gilding processGold leaf is gold that has been hammered into extremely thin sheets and is often used for gilding. Gold leaf is available in a wide variety of karats and shades...
techniques.
In 2007 she received her Miami-Dade Community College Associate of the Arts in Commercial and Graphic Art. Gerstacker relocated to spend time with her family in Houston, Texas in late 2007. Antonia continued her collections of paintings. Her paintings are now a larger scale then the past years. Her works have taken on a more abstract style while retaining bright, vibrant colors.
May 2009, Antonia became ill and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....
. After surgery removing her right ovary and a large ovarian mass, she received chemotherapy at Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston, Texas from May- September 2009. Losing 19 pounds from the ovarian mass tumor, Antonia's immune system and strength was severely compromised. After a year of physical therapy and nutritional counseling she has returned to her normal body weight and strength.
Despite her setbacks, Antonia maintained her love for the Arts. She began her own online Art Dealer Gallery- Antonia Fine Arts Houston. In addition to selling her own works locally and online she began specializing and selling art by Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
, Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter...
, Keith Haring
Keith Haring
Keith Haring was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s.-Early life:...
and Peter Max
Peter Max
Peter Max is a German-born Jewish American artist. At first, works in this style appeared on posters and were seen on the walls of college dorms all across America. Max then became fascinated with new printing techniques that allowed for four-color reproduction on product merchandise...
, as well as other 20th century artists.
As her strength returned, she began painting again. Inspired by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, Antonia created a Limited Edition original linocut
Linocut
Linocut is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum is used for the relief surface. A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife, V-shaped chisel or gouge, with the raised areas representing a reversal of the parts to show printed...
series of hand printed woodblock prints of 25 titled "Roses in a vase" in February 2011.
Antonia became a member of International Fine Arts Appraisers (IFAA) New York, New York.
Art works
During her time in Europe, Antonia visited many of Europe's finest art museums and attractions such as LouvreLouvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
in Paris. She viewed works by El Greco
El Greco
El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
, Goya, Bosch, and Van Dyck at the Prado in Madrid, the Picasso Museum
Museu Picasso
The Museu Picasso in Barcelona, Spain, has one of the most extensive collections of artworks by the 20th century Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. This is one of the most popular and most visited museums in Barcelona. The museum is housed in five adjoining medieval palaces in Barcelona's La Ribera.The...
and Gaudí Architecture in Barcelona. She found Greece an archeology lover's dream where she returned to several times seeing dozens of antiquities museums throughout the country. These incredible masters of the arts inspired the young artist who was learning about life's creativity. The great works of artists, musicians and different cultures influenced Antonia to change careers; pursuing her passion for music and love for the arts.
Vibrant colors and stark black lines are the basis for Antonia's paintings. Humor, feelings, nature, music, the universe and the element of time influence her works. It reflects her personality and the way Antonia views the world and the people in it. It has become the essence and created the unique individual style that Antonia paints. Her compositions are simple, complex or intriguing. Her effects with whimsical quotes inspired the viewer to see things in a positive, inquisitive way. Her paintings are often simple and basic ideas of everyday objects or complicated random compositions that go beyond the familiar, making a statement about the existence and meaning of life and invites the viewer to look at the colorful side of art.
She works with multiple media, including oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
, acrylics
Acrylic paint
Acrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry...
, water colors, spray paint, dyes, pastels,sign painter's enamel
Enamel paint
Enamel paint is paint that air dries to a hard, usually glossy, finish, used for coating surfaces that are outdoors or otherwise subject to hard wear or variations in temperature; it should not be confused with decorated objects in "painted enamel", where vitreous enamel is applied with brushes and...
, charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
, pen
Pen
A pen is a device used to apply ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Historically, reed pens, quill pens, and dip pens were used, with a nib of some sort to be dipped in the ink. Ruling pens allow precise adjustment of line width, and still find a few specialized uses, but...
, multi-colored pencils, etching
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
s, engraving
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
s, stickers, typography
Typography
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
, xerox
Xerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
and computer graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
. She paints on canvas
Canvas
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame...
, illustration board, wood, tiles, fabric and furniture. Many different Art movements inspire Antonia. Her artwork reflects Abstract Expressionism
Abstract expressionism
Abstract expressionism was an American post–World War II art movement. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve worldwide influence and put New York City at the center of the western art world, a role formerly filled by Paris...
, Fauvism
Fauvism
Fauvism is the style of les Fauves , a short-lived and loose group of early twentieth-century Modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong colour over the representational or realistic values retained by Impressionism...
, Modernism, Naïve
Naïve art
Naïve art is a classification of art that is often characterized by a childlike simplicity in its subject matter and technique. While many naïve artists appear, from their works, to have little or no formal art training, this is often not true...
, Pop Art
Pop art
Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art...
, Contemporary
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
, Graffiti Art, Symbolism
Symbolism (arts)
Symbolism was a late nineteenth-century art movement of French, Russian and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts. In literature, the style had its beginnings with the publication Les Fleurs du mal by Charles Baudelaire...
, and Folk Art
Folk art
Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....
. She is influenced by the artists Jackson Pollock
Jackson Pollock
Paul Jackson Pollock , known as Jackson Pollock, was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. During his lifetime, Pollock enjoyed considerable fame and notoriety. He was regarded as a mostly reclusive artist. He had a volatile personality, and...
, Keith Haring
Keith Haring
Keith Haring was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s.-Early life:...
and Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist. His career in art began as a graffiti artist in New York City in the late 1970s, and in the 1980s produced Neo-expressionist painting.-Early life:...
.
She continuously creates her own collection of paintings. Antonia's work is categorized into collections. Each collection represents a period in her work
Work of art
A work of art, artwork, art piece, or art object is an aesthetic item or artistic creation.The term "a work of art" can apply to:*an example of fine art, such as a painting or sculpture*a fine work of architecture or landscape design...
. To date Antonia has her paintings sorted into eight collections. The names of the collections are:Cherry Pop (1990–1995),Various Series (1994–1997), Antonia Studio (1994–1997), Good Luck (1997–2008), Happy Hearts (1998–2007),Wet Paint (2003),Five Stars (2006), and Manufactured Colors (2008). Her paintings consisted of very colorful paintings rendered in all of the basic primary colors of the color wheel. The sizes are varied. A reflection of the Minimalism art movement appears in some of her paintings. The topic of love is a frequent subject. She incorporates several different themes. The most sought after painting by her loyal art collector's was a painting titled "Spook", a 24" x 36" painting of Antonia's dedication to her beloved cat. It is painted in a memorial type setting and a large red heart on the cat's chest.
Antonia created more complex ideas developed during this period. She added words and phrases to create humor. Several paintings depicted space and time. A folksy appeal was addressed and a very dominant sense of innocence completed each painting. Her painting "Gotcha Red Hot Punk" is a collaboration of mixed media.
Antonia's sixth Collection Five Stars (2006). She used mostly blue tones. It was this show she painted her painting "Water Flowers". During this period Antonia's was interested in expressing feelings, ideas, creating abstractions and fantasies, rather than representing what is real. Antonia's work experience in the field of painting, education, illustration, graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
, sign making and many other disciplines of the visual arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
have made a major impact on the art scene in Miami. Her colorful paintings were displayed and sold to eager buyers interested in the growing art scene in Miami and all over the world. She then seriously began painting and received a successful response from art buyers. She sold every painting she had painted.
All the painting techniques she has learned have created one of the unique styles that are typically "Antonia".
Music
She enjoys singing, playing electric guitar and pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. From 1992 to present she frequently played guitar to entertain friends. She created her own band Spookykat, performing local gigs. She recorded with Miami noise band
Laundry Room Squelchers for their contribution to the Phi-Phenomena compilation, We Don’t Do Compilations as well as the band Cock E.S.P. on their The Pride of North American Noise album, on which Antonia played violin on the song titled "Pain for the Sake of Pain".
External links
- http://www.antoniagerstacker.com Antonia Gerstacker official website