Altamira Fine Art in Scottsdale, AZ is pleased to present an exhibition of new work by Geoffrey Gersten January 6-17, 2026.
Please join us for the Artist Reception on Thursday, January 8 from 6-8pm.
Retro Reverie
“I have the unique daily experience of being totally charmed by these Midcentury objects, especially the western themed toys and costumes which were made for children. It always gets me thinking about my own childhood and what is a special, universal hope that springs from the naivety of a young person’s view of the world and humanity. “ -Geoffrey Gersten
Retro Reverie celebrates the unique magic in what were once everyday objects found in many households. In hindsight, these charming relics offer a playful peek into Midcentury American life that still delights today. “Maybe it’s novels, movies or shows…but there is a special kind of magic that seems to be conveyed by anything that existed 1940s-1950s. Each of these beautiful little objects still radiating a kind of knowing from having been there, then. Here they are now, still smiling with their secrets and memories.”, Gersten says.
Gersten has added a new facet to his creative repertoire with custom designed and fabricated wood panels that further push the trompe l’oeil effect, allowing the viewer to interact in a whole new, three -dimensional way. Like our memory of the past, the paintings combine illusion and reality, with details you can (literally) feel, the rippled edges of a worn comic book page, the round bow of an old pocket watch.
With an abundance of ideas and references to choose from, the artist trusts his intuition for pinpointing the ones that sing. “I feel like there’s a switch in my heart that is flipped on, and I feel the incandescent glow of excitement and inspiration when I have a new, good idea. No one can talk me out of it. Oh, yes, they try, but I won’t be dissuaded. Just wait until you see it. Just wait.”
Geoffrey’s painting, "We Aim to Please" appears on the cover of the January 2026 issue of American Art Collector magazine and his work can be found in prestigious collections and art fairs around the world. After early success as a CAD designer for Honeywell and Boeing, he began painting professionally in 2007. A self-taught artist, he learned to paint from studying old master techniques. In his early work, Gersten was inspired by surrealism and the idea of painting Dream worlds or expressing the concepts of dreams and visions. “We live in the present, but we think in dreams,” he is fond of saying. He has collaborated with Mark Parker (CEO of Nike) and Warner Music. Gersten lives and works in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Pre-sales are available. Contact the gallery for details, 480-949-1256/ az@altamiraart.com.
