2 minute read
Abel Gonzalez
Abel Gonzalez
Written by Tad Malone
For San Jose artist and muralist Abel Gonzalez, art and the natural world are intertwined. As a child, he visited his uncle’s farm in Mexico and was enraptured by the animals, even attempting to draw them. In middle school, the colors and boldness of graffiti drew him in, and he quickly built a reputation as a talented artist. His early twenties saw him take a bit of a creative sabbatical, but nowadays he’s an established artist—though he hasn’t forgotten his roots. Taking cues from his former graffiti career, Abel sculpts and paints in an assembly line process, layering different pieces before building them to completion. This was especially evident with his most recent show at the Arsenal, TUFF LIFE. The show featured his most consistent theme—sharks—rendered in fierce, vibrant, playful strokes. As for the future, Gonzalez hopes to extend his career into something larger, including international mural work, while still keeping it fun and inspiring the next generation of burgeoning artists.
“I really don’t know what it is; there’s just something about sharks that fascinates me. I’m attracted to their form and motion, but I think I relate to them on a character level, where we are nice and easy-going, but a little trigger brings out the wild side. I’ve always tripped out on animals like sharks, how they are big and beautiful, but could destroy you in a second. I can paint a person or do illustration characters, but I’d rather paint or sculpt an animal, especially a shark.”
