Friday, October 11, 2013

Luiz Gonzalez Palma's 'Anonimo, Heros and Performers', jdc Fine Art, San Diego,CA

By Cathy Breslaw

El Circo folio, 10" x 10" platinum print

Luis Gonzalez Palma’s photographic works pull on our heart-strings. These sepia tinted photographs feel cinematic in the drama that each conveys to the viewer. The gaze on faces and demeanor of his subjects share a particular tragic longing, haunting and sadness. Among them are subjects depicting ballerinas, and masked and crowned figures. Some are created with handpainted silver print and collage while others use a gold leaf, red paper and kodalith process.  The unique and varied processes by which Palma creates his work add a critical dimension and depth to the strong presence of his subjects. The signature large piece “Heroes” is an early work - a collage of red and blue painted blocks intermixed with repeated photographic images of a young Guatemalan boy with masks and cultural symbols. This piece may refer back to Palma himself who was raised in Guatemala, reflecting the cultural and political issues of that time. ‘Variation 10’ and ‘Variation 11’ are round photographic works joined by their time and place – in one, a young dark haired beautifully dressed woman sits alone in a dark theater looking toward the viewer while the other appears to be the same location, with only a few sets of pearl necklaces hanging over one of the theater seats. These and other works tell stories about our humanity and the performance that is our lives.
Heroes   collage  

    
Variation 11
Variation 10

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