Hasta Luego Raul Gonzalez

Dean Liscum

Raul Gonzalez is leaving me. He's leaving you too, but you may not have realized that. His gallerist, Jack Meir Gallery, figured as much and so he hosted The Farewell Show on Friday, August 10, 2012.

Raul's a local artist and an activist. He's the founder of Montrose Art Society, and  he's just been plain active in the arts community. I asked him, "why?" Damn selfishness! Of course this break up is all about him. Something about going to get a Masters in Fine Arts at UTSA. He says that he plans to concentrate on painting and public art, which I interpreted as his way of assuaging his guilt by hinting that he might come back and make it up to us with something big on the bayou.

Whatev. HAA and I will see.

Robert Boyd praised Gonzalez's last show. I don't have much to add other than I really enjoy Gonzalez's range. One of the small pleasures of following the local art scene is that I get to see artists find their aesthetic identity. Of course, there is a lot of mirroring the masters as artists hone their skills and find their vision. Some of it's "bad" in that it's more of a copy than an exploration, but in the end, it's all good.
Raul isn't co-opted by the styles he adopts. I hope academia doesn't excise the explorer in him.

These are a few of his forays that I enjoyed.


Raul Gonzalez, Sunburst (Flower Series), 2010, acrylic and marker on canvas


Raul Gonzalez, Deconstruction Jeans, 2011, acrylic, marker, recycled paper, canvas and jeans


Raul Gonzalez, Organicity, 2011, acrylic, paper various fabrics and ink on canvas


Raul Gonzalez, Music and Art in the City, 2009, acrylic and marker on canvas

Raul Gonzalez, Crape Myrtles, 2012, ball point pen, marker, and house paint on canvas
 

Raul Gonzalez, Butterfly and Color Spectrum, 2012, house paint and stone (2811 Washington)


Raul Gonzalez, Brendon Urie (Panic at the Disco), 2011, acrylic and marker on canvas




Raul Gonzalez, Somebody's Gotta Do This, 2010, acrylic on canvas