Gerhard Völkle was born in 1953 in Lörrach, Germany. After completing his studies at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Basel, he studied at the Kunstakademie in Bad Reichenhall. Inspired by the volcanic rocks in the Spanish island of Lanzarote, he began painting with rust. The unpredictability of the oxidation makes his work dynamic and allows them to change and evolve over time.

The connection to the island of Lanzarote and the fascination with the volcanic rock found there, has long been reflected in Völkle’s process. In his most recent works, which are created under the series "Rust traces - Colored Oxidations", he turns his attention more to the colors and the fire spewing from Lanzarote's mountains.

Völkle uses his rust painting technique in both sculptures and on canvas. The employment of rust as a medium allows oxidation to take over each artwork and consequently creates an unpredictable, everchanging surface. Each painting shows dynamic characters in a variety of poses and in various states of movement. The artist uses the absence of detail as an unconventional media that is always changing to emphasize silhouetted characters that are also in perpetual motion.

Since 2001 his work has been exhibited in France, Switzerland, and Germany. Notable collectors include New Zealand businessman Graeme Hart, and actor Jesse Tylor Ferguson. Gerhard Völkle lives and works in Binzen, Germany.