Artist Conversation #2

Artist: JP Gonzales Artist: Jennifer Tejada

Gallery: Max L. Gatov Gallery West Gallery: Max. L. Gatov Gallery East

Exhibition: Afterburn

—Instagram and Website not provided—

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About the Artist’s

This exhibition consists of sculptures from the Sculpture BFA Group, here at Cal State Long Beach. Afterburn, culturally speaking, is a sensation that is valued as a reminder of work or labor. Gonzales’s and Tejada’s pieces reflect the pain held in the body and mind. Their work aims at visualizing pain and discomfort that many of us lock up inside.

Formal Analysis

“Drive” by JP Gonzales is a large piece attached to a wall. The piece consists of plastic, duct tape, and iphone footage. When I stood near it the figure, which seems to be a dead body, made my gut feel a bit weird. “Self-portrait” by Jennifer Tejada arguably portrays a demonic/satanic figure that represents the feeling someone has for themselves. The piece consists of mixed media and culture.

Content Analysis

Both pieces represent a common theme of anguish. “Drive” feeds off a dark feeling of a person being trapped. More so, a sense of suffocation can be felt from this piece. It’s almost as of the figure inside is trying to gasp for air and escape his confinement. Similarly, “Self-portrait,” is about a innocent being trapped inside something monstrous. This figure with the horns is preventing the tiny goat from being free. Ultimately, the fact that the piece is called “Self-portrait” leads me to conclude that this is a representation of how someone feels on the inside. Their true self is trapped inside a version of themselves society has formed for them; leaving them in a state of despair.

My Experience

This exhibition really was powerful. The pieces fed off feelings of torment and anguish. When I saw “Drive,” I was honestly caught off guard at first with its morbidity. It made my gut twist and I felt like the figure was going to jump out or something. On the other hand, “Self-portrait” made me feel sad. The goat tangled inside the demonic figure fed off a feeling a sorrow that resonated with me. Overall, I was not expecting to feel this way, especially just by looking at their work. It was a very cool experience.