Forever Yours

In his Forever Yours collection, artist Geoffrey Gersten decided to embark on a nostalgic journey toward a past that, in the American culture, has been idealized through motion pictures, literature and iconic photographs.

Geoffrey Gersten, “Charlotte” 60″x 60″ oil on birch panel

“I had become so wrapped up in these moments that it was crushing to think that those particles of time, so meaningful when they happened, were now gone, and had become lost scraps in this bin of photos. I picked up a little 2” x 4” photograph. It was the picture of a girl, standing on her porch, smiling. She was wearing pants, and a 1950s bikini top, though these and all things were only peripheral to her expression. There she was, standing upright, but her smile made her seem as if she were poised rather forward, right into your mind, right into your psyche, so much so that I had to join in smiling myself. I flipped the picture over and saw across the back, scrawled in fading bluish ink, “Forever Yours, Charlotte,” he says.

This was the moment when Gersten conceived the Forever Yours collection. “With this new idea, with Charlotte and all my collected vintage photos and old moments ready to be reborn in oil on canvas,  I set forth on this endeavor of recreation and self regeneration.” Geoffrey Gersten found both contentment and meaning for this new purpose.

“Forever Yours” is an ongoing series of oil paintings inspired by and based on unique, interesting and meaningful photographs including Kodachromes, Ektachromes and Polaroids from 1900 to 1969.

The show will be on display until Feb. 17 at Bonner David Galleries.

Forever Yours

Through Feb. 17

Bonner David Galleries, 7040 E. Main St., Scottsdale