Twisted landscapes, geometrical scaffolding conglomerates, mask-like bodies of bold color—these are pictures from Erik Gonzalez’s internal environment, and they speak of elements in his life that go all the way back to drawing houses in kindergarten. Facing his 60” x 84” Venus Pudica, an art term meaning “modest Venus,” makes you wonder what’s behind all that blue, since it appears to hide something less flat and ponderous, more alive with signs of human contact. “The new work addresses how we go about covering up what we don’t like about ourselves, but by that very process, we betray what we’re trying to cover up… the way that Venus covering herself eroticizes her even more, pointing out what she’s hiding instead of showing the pure, natural state of open nakedness.”
 
Keeping up with Erik as he navigates a remarkably dense network of concepts and memories is an eye-opening process (my own eyes were opened to the fact that—holy moly!—I don’t spend half that kind of time on critical thinking). “A lot of it is learning about who I am. The only way to better understand humanity is to understand yourself, to find out how much of yourself you can accept.” He focuses on perspective and perception, namely perceived reality v. actual, and really lives with his paintings (figuratively and literally—and you’ve got to wonder how his mind stays so tack-sharp in a tiny apartment full of turpentine fumes). Everything in his daily existence informs them, from love, relationships and family to interactions with strangers and political tension. In 2006, his work reached back to his first artistic attempts as a child, revisiting the rudimentary lines that formed a house-shape. He even gets inspiration from scientific studies: he explained to me how a group of neurologists flashed a two-part series of circles on a movie screen for groups of 100 subjects, and they only perceived the second part. “Our perception is not perfect; there’s a lot we don’t see. What are we not seeing? What if we’re continually getting things wrong, and if we are, how far back in history do the effects of that go? We can only go so far out of balance before things fall apart.” I was left hoping that he’d one day start writing about his ideas, not just painting them.
 
Transmission Gallery got the jump on Erik’s work, though not by much—that show opened July 3 (it’s up until July 26, and it includes Venus Pudica), the group show that he’s in at Page Bond Gallery opens August 7, and another group show at the Reynolds Gallery opens September 5. Both group shows are up now for viewing. Pretty amazing for someone who just completed their undergrad studies, getting snatched up like a dollar bill on the sidewalk—but he’s just that good. Images of his older stuff can be found on his web site, http://www.erikgonzalez.com, along with contact info. Catch up with him before he takes off for grad work at Yale.
 
WEB | http://www.erikgonzalez.com
 

Well Mr. Erik Gonzalez really does seem to have hit the Richmond Scene.  I am very impressed by his deep philosophical impressions of his paintings, very well thought out.  At such a young age we are very fortunate to be exposed so generously to such young talent at many Richmond Galleries, magazine layouts and now he’s off to Yale to study and perfect his craft even further, I cannot wait to see what happens in the future for Erik Gonzalez