The comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell wrote, “At first you might find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred space and use it, eventually something will happen. Your sacred space is where you find yourself again and again.”
Frank Gonzales returns to the sacred space of his studio to let scientific and factual images of nature filter through his imagination. The result is colorful ornithological/botanical paintings blending scientific detail with the abstract qualities of paint.
Senitas and Verdins, acrylic on panel, 44"
He comments, “I like the spontaneity of starting with a background color or single image as a jump off point for the rest of the painting. One image will spark another, and the process takes shape from there. I find this way of working to be both exciting and uncertain. My various marks and color glitches mimic this uncertainty resulting in a visual stillness and movement.”
The unexpected synchrony of nature is illustrated in the large tondo, Senitas and Verdins,in which the male verdin has built a breeding nest in the crotch of a senita cactus, its opening facing out toward the prevailing wind for cooling. In the winter, he will build a thicker brooding nest, and she will line it with soft material for comfort and insulation. The flying verdin’s shadow is cast incongruously against the amorphous background.
Gaze, acrylic on canvas, 52 x 48"
Nature’s incongruities mix with those that the artist invents, further blurring the borders of the artificial and the real. In Great Tailed Grackle, the bird humorously rests on a floating leaf with an expression that might be on the face of the cartoon roadrunner at the moment before disaster.
An exhibition, Frank Gonzalez: Sacred Spaces,featuring 10 to 12 recent paintings will be shown at the Chandler Center for the Arts Gallery in Chandler, Arizona, May 20 through August 5 with an opening reception on May 19 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Great Tailed Grackle, acrylic on paper, 22½ x 15"
Commenting on the artist’s sacred space, Peter Bugg, the center’s visual arts program manager, writes, “His books, plants and friends’ artworks combine to focus his reverent energy, enabling him to make each canvas a sacred space for the flora and fauna he depicts.” —
The Gallery at Chandler Center for the Arts 250 N. Arizona Avenue • Chandler, AZ 85225 • (480) 782-2680 • www.chandlercenter.org
Powered by Froala Editor
