Gilberto Gonzalez (Artist)
About the Artist
The genesis of my paintings came during a recovery from a serious illness seven years ago. Confined to my home for months the desire to paint became an obsession to express the experiences of my life growing up in the barrios of North Philadelphia. As a teenager and then young man my life took me into the dark heart of the city. My path eventually diverged from many of my friends who are either dead or incarcerated as I found my way out of the barrio through art. Many of the works are based on photographs I took of the inner city of my youth buildings and homes that have since been torn down or gentrified. Raw, violently colorful, my landscapes and portraits combine a personal interpretation of modern urban impressionism layered with graffiti elements that are incorporated into the patterns and forms of the work. Painting was and is exhilarating, liberating and helped me through a painful recovery. My art not allows me to share the artistic expression of my sometimes brutal experiences on canvas it quite literally – saved my life.
“Gonzalez, the prize-winning Senior Graphic Designer at the Community College of Philadelphia, is showing cityscapes of the barrio done in mixed media on canvas, and three small portraits: a self-portrait and two of children. His paintwork and drawing is rich and assured; his unpopulated scenes of modest buildings make impressive paintings.” ~ ARt Blog Post by Andrea Kirsh
Artist Gonzalez’s Website & Social Media
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Article by James Day
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Paintings of the Barrio by Gilberto Gonzalez http://artofday.com/wordpress/?p=4165 
Paintings of the Barrio by Gilberto Gonzalez http://artofday.com/wordpress/?p=4165
Great work1 I actually own one of these paintings and it hangs in my suburban living room – always reminding me of this other world that is so close to me. There is a great energy and beauty in these dilapidated buildings you have painted!
thank Ms. Melinda for you words – bless u
This artwork is truly a portal into the Barrio through your skilled hand and talent
Wow,…congratulations on all the amazing and beautiful work you have done. I knew you could do it again. I will always be proud of you…great come back!!Keep up the good work!!! Hope to see many more!!
Thank you – this medium will continue to be a focus of my work – thanks for you support L
Gracias Ove – your support is amazing and appreciated – thanks for coming to my showings
Thank you for you amazing support Maria – i look forward to the Channel 53 interview
abrasos
g
I recently had the opportunity to interview Puerto Rican artist Gilberto González, Senior Graphic Designer and colleague at the Community College of Philadelphia. His paintings of the barrio open doors to a world that was not familiar to me: The fierce and palpitating heart of buildings in pain, windows shattered to blindness, black smog clogging the skin of a city that does not seem to remember the green tones of hope. Then I looked up, and saw the sky as a perpetual storm raining screams and words that stuck to the surface and grew on walls and alleys, suffocating life. Now outside the barrio, saved by the grace of his own art, Gilberto evokes a time past, sadly still present in our barrios of Philadelphia. Stay tuned for our forthcoming CCPTV interview with Gilberto González on our new Spanish show ENTRE NOSOTROS: Comcast 53, Fios 21. To watch prior interviews with the artist on CCP’s Philadelphia Cultural Forum, visit http://www.ccp.edu/site/about/ccptv/. ¡Enhorabuena, Gilberto! –María Luisa Ortega Hernández, PhD, Associate Professor, Community College of Philadelphia.
Gil your art work is amazing! The houses look like they are on fire and it’s because of the beautiful rich colors that you used and the way you did the shading.
These have always been my favorite works by you. The perspective, lines, and static energy are aesthetically appealing.
Very happy for you.
thank you Loraine
your support is wonderful
hugs
g
thank you Leslie
with critiques i hope to continue to grow
again thank you for your comments
hugs
gil
thanks Krystal for your amazing support
:=)
I’m a fan! And what a great story!
The most amazing aspect of these paintings is the vivid feelings communicated through different combination of colors and brush strokes. No words needed to explain what Gil tried to express through these paintings. He’s a true artist with the amazing ability and talent to tell stories through paintings!
Love your work. Such great passion and emotion in those brushstrokes.
Des
again your amazing
big hugs
g
Sara
thank you for you comment it has been a blessing meeting you and the rest of the Clemente Family
peace
g
thank laila
i look forward to May 14 for the Clemente Festival
thanks for the support
g
Great Work! I’m so proud of Gil….His book is GREAT also….what a great inspiration :-)
Congrats Gil! Very nice work and I love the story that you tell in the article as well as the story told in your paintings.
Congrats and best wishes!
~Desiree
thanks Alex
coming from a fellow artist i am honored
hugs
g
Leelee
thank you for your comments – if your from philly you know the deep meaning of my work – i hope more people will come to feel the wonderful barrio that is north philly
hugs
g
Britt
thank you for your comment, thanks for becoming a fan of my work, i Have shows in PHiladelphia and This summer i will be in New York. follow me on twitter to keep you posted on coming events
thanks for you wonderful comments and support
gil
So vivid and beautiful. Thanks for sharing your lens of El Barrio with us, Gil!
Amazing works of art that truly capture the essence of a dynamic neighborhood!
I am officially a big fan your art. You bring something different in perspective to urban art and I tend to see something different in the different parts of the day. And incorporating words subliminally like lie and love expresses your feeling or the feelings of the people and allows the viewer to have a little window into that emotion. Amazing!
breathe taking! They make me want to really stop n see what i miss through his eyes. And really appreciate the beauty of my neighborhood.
Gilberto Gonzalez is a true artist with endless talent!