Continuing through November 30, 2013
Luis Gonzalez Palma’s photographic works pull on our heartstrings. These sepia tinted photographs feel cinematic in the drama that they convey. The demeanor of his subjects share a particular tragic longing. Among them are ballerinas and masked and crowned figures. Some are created with handpainted silver print and collage, while others are processed using gold leaf, red paper and Kodalith. The strong presence of his subjects is in good part a product of the variety and manner of his approach to media.
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 be a personal reference. Palma was raised in Guatemala, and much of his work reflects the cultural and political issues of that country. "Variation 10" and "Variation 11" are tondos joined together by their time and place. In one, a young, dark haired and beautifully dressed woman sits alone in a dark theater looking toward the viewer. The other apparently depicts the same location, this time with 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.
