Alfred Alexander Gockel - Around Midnight

Alfred Alexander Gockel was born in Ludinghausen, Germany, in 1952. He was always interested in the way colors interact on paper. Due to his talent and pure enthusiasm for art, Gockel’s first work of art was published when he was only 8 years old, by a German publisher. After graduating from high school, he began to study at Polytechnic Academy in Munster in 1973. His studies had a strong emphasis on typography, graphic design, and advertising. In 1981, he grew so strong as an artist he devoted himself completely to being only an artist. Gockel’s work would most accurately be described as abstract. He is inspired by bright colors and abstract figures.

Gockel uses oil paints to make his bright colors really stand out. The colors that he chooses make his work imaginative and enjoyable for the viewer; music is supposed to be enjoyable, so his painting of the idea of music is enjoyable. Because he uses abstract images to represent the concept of music, music is exemplified as an idea that can be represented differently to different people. The painting’s composition places the people hugging and dancing in the center and the music is what surrounds them, causing a heaven for their free expression. Gockel puts a special emphasis on these musical instruments by coloring them darker than the rest of the painting, the eye is forced to notice them and they then play a crucial role in the painting itself.

In this piece, the lines are not very linear at all; they are in fact, fluid and unpredictable, just like music and the way music makes a person feel. Because he chose to use abstract lines, he gives the true flavor of music to his piece of artwork. His painting is aesthetically pleasing and it reflects the feelings given to music and the people who are enjoying it. Music is pleasing to every aspect in one’s life; the fact that his painting is actually beautiful pertains to the fact that music is a beautiful work of art. In general, the harmony between the musicians and the listeners in Gockel’s painting truly represents the appreciation of beautiful music; music can move us on many levels. Gockel did an outstanding job of representing this and presenting the role of music in his painting “Around Midnight”.

-Taylor Murphy