AL EX GONZ AL EZ
A
t the intersection of exceptional draughtsmanship and
All but one of Alex’s works in the show are part of narrative driven series
lowbrow infused Pop Surrealism stands Alex Gonzalez.
imbued with motifs; abstracted characters, cartoons, and technicolor
A self-taught Los Angeles native who works under the
smoke plumes spawning into visages of beast-like creatures. Boy Dog:
pseudonym OtisWoods, Alex’s innovative vision evokes
A Dog’s Day Out is an early piece in the narrative sequence where Boy
an ineffable spirit and aesthetic. With influences spanning from
Dog, one of the protagonists, is introduced. The character, a hybrid of
science fiction, fantasy, and cartoons, to old masters like Caravaggio
young boy and his dog, has one body, but two personalities that can
and contemporary artists like Botero, Alex is acutely aware of art
“switch at will or simultaneously talk to each other.” The idea came
history’s role in popular culture.
from his imagining of the different world his dog, Rigby, sees when they go out for walks together. The scene shows beings Alex calls “Color
Alex began drawing at a young age when Luis Mateo, his older brother
Dwellers” playing with Boy Dog; meanwhile, in the upper left quadrant
and fellow Art Division student, encouraged him to take up art. Alex
a large eye, referred to as the antagonist, looks at Boy Dog from the
recalled, “We started training ourselves [to draw] without realizing
shadows, remaining unknown to him.
that’s what we were doing. All we knew was it was something we both enjoyed.”
Alex’s work can be found in many private collections throughout Los Angeles. M.G.
Alex Gonzalez, Boy Dog, The Case, and Big Sister, Acrylic on canvas, 2017 44 - The Art Division Exhibition & Interviews
The Art Division Exhibition & Interviews - 45