Another Kind of Truth; essay by John Zarobell (original) (raw)
Editor's note: The Saint Mary's College Museum of Art provided permission for Resource Library to publish the following essay for the exhibition Luis Gutierrez: Another Kind of Truth, held October 4 through December 6, 2015 at the Saint Mary's College Museum of Art. If you have questions or comments regarding the essay and associated materials, please contact the Museum directly through either this phone number or web address:
Luis Gutierrez: Another Kind of Truth
by John Zarobell
Artists have long sought to portray the world as they see it, and Luis Gutierrez is no exception. His truth clings to the surface of his canvases, but sometimes it tears right through (fig. 212). In his assemblage works, such as _Panic Button_and Help Us Stay Alive, historical images and objects resurface, creating juxtapositions that are beautiful but, more importantly, meaningful. It is not the kind of meaning you can read however. It must be taken in. The truth in Gutierrez's art is that very process of taking meaning in. It is not a puzzle to solve or a mystery to unfurl, but a play of light, color and perception. The images can be abstract, or landscapes, or figures but they are never just that; the art is animated by the curiosity of the viewer and requires an active reception. Gutierrez's works are not self-important and they do not disclose their significance to the incurious.
In this sense, Gutierrez's approach is historical. Coming of age as an artist in the 1960's in the Bay Area, he would have seen and understood the importance of Abstract Expressionism. In these works, the paint itself is palpably, ineluctably real and imagery is secondary. Paint, and the flatness of the canvas: these were the truths in painting. The implication is that the artist had the power to create his own world, and to appreciate the impact of that required the viewer's thoughtful interpretation. At the same time, artists were experimenting with a new kind of collage, bringing together found objects from the dustbin of history to create unprecedented juxtapositions of everyday life and artistic technique. This method was first charted in a 1961 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art called 'The Art of Assemblage". These pioneers were working anew to break down the barrier between art and life by making work that combined commercial objects with original vision and they formed a new hybrid that expanded art's possibilities. Once again, it was up to the viewer to decode these assemblages, contemplating anew some object seen a million times now revealed through art. The question here was how these objects might function to create a new kind of meaning in art; such an inquiry was central to art's development and this spun out in many directions, from Pop to Conceptual art.
Over the course of his career, Gutierrez has been both an abstract painter and an assemblage artist, drawing upon multiple artistic methods, but the underlying question he has investigated is how to make meaning in a work of art. Whether there is political subtext, a dark truth he is aiming to confront, or simply a collection of elements that generate a satisfying composition, the question of how to interpret the work is up for grabs. Gutierrez is not trying to tell the viewer something, he is trying to tell the viewer everything. This is because the meaning you find will not be the same as mine and we have to accommodate our notion of truth to bear the vicissitudes of different experiences, different lives, different approaches to the work of art. History wants to put art works in boxes, to find the best and to arrange them neatly and reassuringly. It is the artist's job to do the opposite: to demonstrate the lack of order because only that way can one start to appreciate the beauty of the artistic encounter which emerges from discovery, expression and reception.
The selection of works for this exhibition demonstrates Gutierrez's strength as an abstract artist, which is the direction of his current work. While there are references to landscapes (such as fig. 54) and interiors (such as fig. 45), this blush of recent pictures demonstrates an active exploration of all the components of painterly expression. In all of these works, one can see line, color, traces of the brush, carefully elaborated surfaces, compositional conceptions, even the visceral flatness of the canvas. It is another question to ask what one might find there. If I tell you that I see a window in fig. 75, or a winter landscape in fig. 60, I am really telling you about me, not the paintings. The more challenging gambit is to say how such images are conjured because the evocations themselves are not neutral, but passionate and intentional.
One sees a lot of black in these paintings and, beyond that, a healthy dose of gray. It is in this dark realm where viewers must try to pick up the thread of meaning. If art is generally thought to be enlightening, here one confronts a darker vision. If one looks carefully though, it is clear that this is no apocalypse. There is light streaming in, and vibrant color, and yet it is dark. On another level, linear traces are consistently reasserting the presence of the artist's voice by tracing the movements of his hand. The resulting forms are not vague -- even the more abstract works are highly animated, deeply felt. There is a kind of vividness that opens up here, not from the color or the clarity of form, but from the intensity of the experience of making these works. This intensity does not clarify our view, but rather complicates it, forcing viewers to gaze at the pictures more intently. The more one perceives details in these works the more the tenor seems to shift. For example, the green line at the top of #007 seems like a horizon line at first, with all of the action of the painting happening beneath the surface of the earth, then the animated shapes below seem to be pushing the line up. This tension cannot be easily resolved and that is the dynamic quality of the work.
There is no sense in trying to reverse the spell of indeterminacy that fills these works, but it must be said that their inquiry is a contemporary one. If this art recuperates artistic issues of the 1960s, these recent paintings demonstrate that the challenge of addressing contemporary experience never recedes and the commitment of the artist to making sense of the world must keep pace.
About the author
John Zarobell is Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Director of International Studies at the University of San Francisco. Formerly, he held the positions of assistant curator at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and associate curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (biographical information courtesy of University of San Francisco)
(above: Luis Gutierrez, Help Us Stay Alive, 1986, Assemblage, 37 x 30 inches. Collection of Victoria France)
Introduction from the exhibition catalogue
It has long been a tradition at the Saint Mary's College Museum of Art to exhibit artists who have made significant contributions both as artists and as teachers. Luis Gutierrez certainly deserves his place among them. From a childhood devoid of art, through perseverance he overcame many obstacles before becoming an esteemed art professor at San Jose City College, where he inspired students with uncommon classroom exercises until he retired in 1995.
In addition to teaching, Gutierrez has been prolific in his own practice, focusing on abstraction, figuration and assemblage, informed by Abstract Expressionism, the Bay Area Figurative movement, Beat, Funk and Pop. To visit his home is to be surrounded by that which inspires him. It has been a great pleasure working with Gutierrez on this exhibition, which is drawn from the artist's collection, with the exception of one of the assemblages graciously on loan from Victoria France. Thank you to everyone involved, including Janet and Luis Gutierrez, Julina Togonon and John Zarobell.
Julie Armistead, Collections Manager and Curator of the Exhibition
About the exhibition
Mexican-American artist Luis Gutierrez was born in the small town of Pittsburg, California in 1933. After his father died when Gutierrez was only 5, he helped out the family by shining shoes and selling newspapers. As he grew older, he worked in the local steel mills. Despite receiving no encouragement and never being taken to museums, Gutierrez was drawn to the visual arts and in high school won a Bank of America merit award. Gutierrez enrolled at Diablo Valley College, and through the guidance of his first mentor, transferred to San Jose State, where he received his BA. After completing his graduate studies in Mexico at the Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, upon his return to San Jose he began teaching art at San Jose City College, where he remained until retiring in 1995. Abstract Expressionism, the Bay Area Figurative movement, Beat, Funk and Pop all influenced him. Gutierrez garnered national recognition through the inclusion of his work in prominent exhibitions at the De Young, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Palace of the Legion of Honor, Triton Museum, San Jose Museum of Art, Oakland Museum, Mexican Museum, Instituto Allende in Mexico and university galleries in the U.S. national survey shows. In 1962, Gutierrez received the prestigious James D. Phelan Award.
On view are Gutierrez's newest body of work, anchored by a small group of assemblages, for which he became well known in the 1980s and '90s. In this work he draws upon multiple artistic methods, but the underlying question he investigates is how to make meaning in a work of art.
Catalogue conversation on becoming an artist
Luis Gutierrez in conversation with Julina Togonon, art consultant and former director of Togonon Gallery, San Francisco, California.
As a working artist for over 50 years, you have witnessed how the world has changed. In contemporary times, where do the visual arts fit?
Artists' works are always relevant. Artists always express what is honestly happening in the world. With technology driving the universe, it's more important than ever to hear artists' voices. Artists impart new ideas and new visions. They influence change and that change influences the world. Their art brings hope.
Have you always aspired to be an artist?
I was born to be an artist -- to be creative -- even before I realized it. I didn't have a choice -- art chose me. My struggle started when my father died. I was five years old and the oldest of three children. My mother was left with no financial resources. I started working to help my mother support the family. I sold newspapers and shined shoes at the army camp in Pittsburg, California. There was nothing in my household that pushed me towards art. There were no books, music or art on the walls. During high school, my talent gained attention and I won a Bank of America merit award, which encouraged me to enroll in 1952 at Diablo Valley College. It was my art teacher at the community college, Harriet Middleton, who spurred me on to continue art studies at San Jose State.
Is art something you can learn? Or is it a gift?
I believe the fundamentals of art can be taught -- personal expression encouraged. The gift is having the desire to make art. If you acknowledge the gift and stay on the creative path, you must be prepared to work hard and not give up.
When did you acknowledge your gift and how did you stay on the creative path?
Right around the time when I graduated from San Jose State and before I went to San Miguel, Mexico, I decided to commit to art for the rest of my life. I liked doing it and I liked what I did. The strong desire to succeed as an artist came from within. I was determined. Art was my primary obsession. I was not thinking about marriage and having children. I just kept doing my work.
What were the challenges of working as a Latino artist?
I am a late bloomer. I had a slow start in the art world, not having the advantage of participating in the art scene growing up. What was frustrating for me as an artist was being rejected for exhibitions with other Latino artists because my art was abstract and did not have images that were supposed to be Mexican-American. How could my work not be Latino when I am a Latino artist?
Who and what inspires you?
The people I admire are those who are busy at work trying to make this a better world -- our humanity and our planet, in whatever field of endeavor that might be. When I was teaching, I loved the varying ages and backgrounds of my students in the community college system -- each brought their personal experience to the whole class- everyone contributed. I learned form my students and they learned from me. I was also inspired by Joe Zirker, a fellow teacher. His knowledge, his teaching methods, got me on the right path. From him, I learned to not be too critical. When I'm not working, my most enjoyable times are with friends, having dinner and conversation. I also enjoy reading and going to movies and seeking inspiration to keep me motivated to make art.
What is your process for making art? I spend from 3 to 8 hours working each day, if possible. I get myself into my most creative place (my right brain) by "outwitting" and confusing my left brain. I incorporate new ideas to challenge my new work. I consider each work successful if it looks good, feels good and I don't necessarily have to understand it.
What advice can you give to aspiring artists?
I say: don't do it. The field of fine art has to be the most difficult there is. But if you are driven to do it then I welcome you to it and encourage you to push yourself to do your very best. The world needs to hear your voice. The support given to me as I developed as an artist was unbelievable, almost surreal, both financially and emotionally. I love being an artist. I'm the luckiest guy in the world, thanks to the many people who supported me.
Artist biography
LUIS GONZALEZ GUTIERREZ (1933 - )
BORN - Pittsburg, California
EDUCATION
MFA, Instituto Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, 1957-1958
B.F.A. San Jose State University, San Jose, CA, 1954-1957
Diablo Valley College, Concord, CA, 1952-1954
EMPLOYMENT - Art Instructor -San Jose Community College, 1969-1995
SELECTED SOLO & TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
Saint Mary's College Museum of Art, October 4-December 6, 2015, Moraga, California
San Francisco Fine Arts Fair, Togonon Gallery, May 2012, Fort Mason, California
Palm Springs Art Fair, Togonon Gallery, February 16-19, 2012, Palm Springs, California
Togonon Gallery, San Francisco, California, 2011
Axis Gallery, San Jose, California, 2010
Triton Museum, Santa Clara, California, 2007
Tercera Gallery, Los Gatos, California, 2000
Lucy Berman Gallery, Palo Alto, California, 1994
Mexican Art Museum, San Francisco, California, 1979
Chico State University Art Gallery, Chico, California, 1974
Sonoma State University Art Gallery, Rohnert Park, California, 1973
de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, California, 1971
San Jose City College, San Jose, California, 1969
Dominican College, San Rafael, California, 1967
San Jose State College, San Jose, California, 1961
St. Mary's College, Moraga, California, 1960
Instituto Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, 1958
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Triton Museum, Santa Clara, California, 2002
San Jose City College Art Gallery, San Jose, California, Art Faculty Exhibition, 1983
Mary Porter Sesnon Gallery U.C. Santa Cruz, California, (Exhibition Catalogue), 1976
Bell Chicago Gallery, Chicago IL.; Witte Memorial Museum, San Antonio, TX; De CorIllinois State Museum, Springfield, IL; The Mexican Museum, San Francisco, CA; Boise Gallery of Art, Boise, ID.(Touring Exhibition; Catalogue) 17 Artists: Hispano Mexican-American Chicano, 1976
San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, California, Three Chicano Artists Exhibition 1973
Oakland Museum and Mills College, Chicano Group Exhibition, California, 1972
Purdue University, Indiana, Small painting show, 1965-1966
University of Illinois Krannert Art Museum, Champaign, Illinois, 12th Contemporary American Painting & Sculpture (Exhibition Catalogue), 1965
Palace of the Legion of Honor, Phelan Awards exhibition, San Francisco, CA, 1963
Richmond Art Center, Richmond, California, 1963
San Francisco Museum of Art (now SFMOMA), San Francisco, California, 1960-1964
AWARDS & COLLECTIONS
1966 Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Grant, New York
1962 James D. Phelan Award, San Francisco, California
1962 Ford Foundation Purchase Award, New York
San Jose State University
AT & T
Castellano Family Foundation
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Contemporary American Painting and Sculpture, 1965, Exhibition catalog, University of Illinois, Krannert Art Museum,
Champaign, Illinois.
Fortunati, Allegra. Conviction & Emotion: The art of Luis Gutierrez from the 1970s to Now, Art Practical.com, 2011.
Gutierrez,Luis,:Another Kind of Truth, Assemblages and Recent Paintings. St. Mary's College Museum of Art, Exhibition catalog, 2015, essay by John Zarobell, PhD.
Gutierrez, Luis, G: Conviction and Emotion;Togonon Gallery exhibiiton catalog. Essay by deWitt Cheng
Peterson,Judy. "Artistic Life, an exciting struggle for Gutierrez". Los Gatos Weekly, August, 2015
Quirarte, Jacinto,PhD. The Humble Way: The Art of Mexican-America, Humble Oil Company, 1970,Vol.IX No.2.The University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas.
Quirarte, Jacinto, PhD. Mexican American Artists, 1973. The University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas.
Checklist
All work by Luis Gutierrez
1. Heartfelt, 1990-2014
Assemblage
24 x 38 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
2. Physiology, 1990
Assemblage
25 x 32 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
3. Fields of Green, 2012
Acrylic on canvas
36 x 48 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
- Dark Landscape, 2015
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 40 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
Purchase price: $5,000
5. Dark Horizon, 2014
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 38 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
6. Funnel Cloud, 2013
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 40 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
7. Misty Morning, 2015
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
8. Red and White River, 2015
Acrylic on canvas
18 x 24 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
9. Sandstorm, 2015
Acrylic on canvas
18 x 24 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
10. Mythic Presence, 2015
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 40 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
11. Net Worth, 2014
Assemblage
18 x 24 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
12-17. Luminosity Series #1-6, 2013
Acrylic
18 x 24 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
18. Cultivating Dreams, 2014
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
19. Trees in the Darkness, 2015
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
20. Block Formation, 2012
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 40 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
21. Triad, 2013
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
22. Red Emerging, 2014
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 40 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
Resource Library editor's notes:
The above essay was published in _Resource Library_on October 12, 2015 with permission of the Saint Mary's College Museum of Art, which was granted to TFAO on October 7, 2015. _Resource Library_wishes to extend appreciation to Kyla Tynes of the Saint Mary's College Museum of Art for her help concerning permission for publishing the above essay.
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