Alfred Gockel was born in Ludinghausen, Germany in 1952. From his earliest days on, he was fascinated by the magic of colors on paper. This talent and enthusiasm resulted in the release of this first art work by a German publisher at the age of 8. After he graduated from high school, he commenced his studies at the Polytechnic Academy in Munster in 1973. His main emphasis was typography, graphic design and advertising. Gockel graduated in 1977, and in the following years he was active as a freelance artist, designer and lecturer of typography and graphic design at the Polytechnic Academy in Munster. In 1981 his work of art had developed so strongly, that he had to stop with all additional activities and become a full-time artist. This was the beginning of a long and successful career. In 1983 he and his wife Ingrid founded an art publishing company; Avant Art, today a top ranked player in the abstract segment of the market, with customers in more than 50 countries worldwide.