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| Some of my newest art work |
Danny whats an installation??
"
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three dimensional works that are often site specific and designed to transform the perception of the space. "
So what this means is that instead of creating art that can be hung anywhere, you are creating art that transforms or compliments a specific 'place' or 'space'. This forces the artist to think about how people will SEE your work as they walk through it or around it. The artist has to take into account the composition of the space, mood and feeling it gives the audience.
So what does this have to do with me?
This whole last month I have been dedicating my time to some personal work of mine. Thanks to a wonderful opportunity given to me I am lucky enough to have some of my work hanging in the lobby of the W Hotel in Beverly Hills. My work is inspired by the book 'The Bell Jar', and my friend's fashion line for this fall. Her design studio is called 'MDOT' and thanks to her I had this opportunity to collaborate with her fashion show.
Here is my artist statement
(wait danny, I thought artist statements were just annoying tasks art teachers made you do to torture us!!) No believe it or not artist statements are really important. When I go to an art show or gallery I right away look for the artist statement. It gives me insight to the artist's mind. If the statement seems bullshitted .. er.. I meant rushed, then I can assume that the work is also done in the same manner, and that the artist might rely on spontaneity and last minute pressure to complete their project. If it's thoughtful and clearly written then I would like to guess that they apply a lot of research and brainstorming to their work. Any way, I really like to read artist statements.
Artist Statement:
"From the themes of “THE BELL JAR” by Silvia Plath and inspiration from MDOT, Daniel Gonzales has created a body of work entitled: “I am” that is displayed as mixed media compromised of charcoal figure drawings and loose leave book pages. With cultural and historical cues Daniel has depicted these women in poses that express their strength and power. Neither over sexual nor submissive, he created a neutral point that depicts their confidence without under minding their presence."
THE SPACE:
The space I was given is an enclosure in the lobby of the W hotel. Initially I wanted to do something grand but after going to the space and being in it... I realized it is a space that people pass through, rest, and have conversations. It is not so much of a spot to make a dynamic in your face statement. So I took a step back and decided a gallery display would compliment the space well. So then I got to work!
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| W hotel with the installation hung up |
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| the Lobby before my installation |
THE PROCESS:
Like any normal artist I initially bit off more than I could chew! I agreed to do this installation while working crunch time for Disney trying to finish up FROZEN
(which reminds me to recommend you to check out the new trailer, it's awesome) So half the time I couldn't work on the installation until 3 weeks before it was due to be up. But with the memories of all nighters still freshly scared in my brain from college, I took the challenge like a boss and pumped out piece after piece of art work until I had a body of work worthy of showing.
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| The process is never pretty.. |
The idea of book pages initially came from an old Instagram photo I took. It was of a bar bathroom wall that was covered in music sheets. Its not a lot of work to tear pages from books but the image it creates stays with you. So I thought I'd apply it to my drawings.
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| pumping out work with my creative juices |
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| Source of inspiration |
I didn't do all this work on my own. I had two very important helpers, their names are Izchel Moreno and Carla Villela. They stayed up with me and helped tearing and gluing the book pages. Izchel even helped make these center pieces for the tables in the lobby. Never under estimate the fresh perspective other people can bring to the project! Izchel's secret? She would go on Pinterest for inspiration and make 'boards' of ideas she liked.
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| Izchel's art |
SETTING UP:
How you hang the art work is very important. You must keep in mind colors, composition, line of sight and the experience of your viewer. Also make sure that your work is hung properly with the appropriate materials. You do not want your work to fall off after 2 weeks when it has to survive a month of staying up!
My last thoughts of the installation are: I had fun doing it and I'm glad everyone is enjoying my work. Of course I look at it and always think of ways I could of done it better but with limited time and a tight budget I think my friends and I pulled this off rather successfully. The fashion show was a fun experience to be a part of. I'm in aw of how my friend Michelle Aquino is able to stay sane while pulling it all off. I wish her label MDOT the best and I also had a lot of help art directing her photo-shoots and her magazine art! The amount of work that goes into everything is intense! (similar to how an animator will spend 6 months animating for just a 90 minute film!) This collaboration has reinforced my views of the art world. That you must always do your best and people will recognize the difference between hard work and half-assed work :)
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| Art Directing the photoshoot |
