World renowned artist Alfred Gockel was born in 1952 near Munster, Germany, and discovered his love of and talent for art at an early age, getting his first work published at only 8 years old. From then on he pursued his passion, attending Polytechnic Art University in Munster and eventually becoming well-known as a painter and successful international publisher of fine art.

By 1983, Gockel and his wife Ingrid founded their own publishing company Avant Art and went on to distribute literally millions and millions of open editions of only his own artwork, making his a truly international household name. Long term stints at Art Expo NY starting in 1985 and numerous cruise ship exhibitions added to his popularity. In 2006, Gockel was tapped to design an official American version poster for the Olympic Games held in Turin.

Always expanding and growing as an artist, Gockel has also moved into exploring the world of etchings, woodcut, linoleum and lithography as well as sculptures of all shapes and sizes. One of his largest to date is a 10m x 5m creation commissioned by the ADAC (German Car Assistance Company) to be installed at the intersection of Germany's two most important highways.

An interesting side note to Gockel's art is that he had a brief stint as a coal miner in his youth. Gleaning a novel idea from that experience, he has incorporated the use of tar into many of his works - a fascinating contrast to his bold palette of bright and light colors. The tar is a recipe he concocts himself, and it makes for an intriguing creative process - one that Gockel delights in displaying to live audiences as he works on oversized canvases to create always exciting mixed media masterpieces.