John Gerstner is an American artist working at the intersection of photography, painting, and digital image construction. His background spans journalism, magazine editing, video production, and book authorship, including Genuine Value: The John Deere Journey, named Best Coffee Table Book of 2001. His art has been exhibited in the U.S. and appears in private collections worldwide.
Statement
My work questions photography’s authority as a source of truth. I merge photographic fragments with paint, texture, and digital layering to disrupt the surface, creating images that feel familiar yet unreliable. I’m drawn to the tension between the real and the artificial — not to reconcile them, but to expose the instability between them.
EDUCATION
- Video Art & Multimedia, MA, University of Iowa, 1989
- Journalism & Mass Communication, MA, University of Iowa, 1984
- Journalism, Kansas State University, BS, 1968.
EXHIBITS AND AWARDS
EXHIBITS
| 2024 | St. Augustine Art Association, St. Augustine, FL, Group Fall Show |
| 2023 | Thrasher-Horne Center, Orange Park, FL, Fall 3-Person Show |
| 2023 | Jones Gallery March Group Show, Kansas City, MO |
| 2023 | Northern Light Gallery, Artist of the Month Exhibition, Online |
| 2023 | Gallerium Art Gallery, Believe Exhibition and Publication, Online |
| 2023 | Northern Light Gallery Group Show, Online |
| 2023 | Gallerium Art Gallery, Exhibition and Publication, Online |
| 2001 | Rock Island Fine Arts Exhibition (honorable mention) |
| 2001 | United Neighbors, Davenport, IA (solo) |
| 1995 | Performing Arts Gallery, Davenport, IA (solo) |
| 1996 | Art From The Neighborhood, Quad City Arts, Rock Island, IL (group) |
| 1996 | Rock Island Fine Arts Exhibition, (group) |
| 1995 | Photo-Link Internet Website (solo) |
| 1994 | Quad-City Arts Council (2-person) |
| 1994 | Artefino Gallery, Charlotte, NC (group) |
| 1993 | NAACP Art Exhibition, Davenport, IA (group) |
| 1993 | University of Iowa Hospitals, Iowa City, IA (solo) |
| 1993 | Corps of Engineers, Arsenal Clock Tower, Rock Island, IL (group) |
| 1993 | CSPS Gallery, Cedar Rapids, IA (group) |
| 1993 | Essence of Diversity, King Center, Rock Island, IL (group) |
| 1992 | A. Allen Albert Gallery, Palm Desert, CA |
| 1990 | Percival Gallery, Des Moines, IA (group) |
| 1989 | Antique Auto Show Benefit (group), Beverly Hills, CA |
| 1989 | Mitchell Museum, Mount Vernon, Il (2-person) |
| 1988 | Quad City Arts Council, Rock Island, IL (3-person) |
| 1988 | Governor’s State University, University Park, IL (2-person) |
| 1987 | Highland Community College, Freeport, IL (solo) |
| 1987 | SPE Photography Conference, University of Iowa (group |
| 1978 | Davenport Art Museum, Davenport, IA (3-person) |
AWARDS
| 2001 | Artist Grant, Quad City Arts, Rock Island, IL |
| 2000 | Artist Grant, Quad City Arts, Rock Island, IL |
| 1997 | Artist Grant, Quad City Arts, Rock Island, IL |
| 1995 | United Way of the Quad Cities Photo Contest, 2nd Prize |
| 1992 | Artist Grant, Quad City Arts, Rock Island, IL |
| 1991 | Artist Grant, Quad City Arts, Rock Island, IL |
| 1986 | Quad City Showcase, Davenport Art Museum, 3rd place |
| 1986 | Artlink Contemporary Artspace, Fort Wayne, IN, award winner |
| 1986 | Gallery of the Old Post Office, Dayton, OH, award winner (2) |
| 1986 | Photo Metro Magazine, 4th Annual Contest, San Francisco (CA |
| 1985 | Rock Island fine Arts Exhibition, 2nd place |
| 1982 | Featured in Pictures For Organizations book by Phil Douglis |
| 1980 | Creativity Annual (Gloria Steinem portrait) |
| 1978 | Gold Quill, Photography Award, International Association of Business Communicators |
| 1976 | Honor Award, Photojournalism, Chicago Business Communicators |