Works Archive Featured Artist: Sergio Gomez

WHAT MAKES YOU IN YOUR HEAD TO DRAW ABSTRACT AND FACELESS FIGURES NOT RELATED BY OBJECTS OR PLACES?

I have always been interested in the human form and figure. It has always been part of my work and language. The silhouette figure can be a presence devoid of identity. Numbers are an abstraction of identity. And numbers are a universal language. I'm trying to remove contextual elements of the portrait that might distract you from the figure, such as the figure's clothing or surroundings. I'm removing this entirely so that the shapes are the only focus of the work. Then I add layers, textures and color. I love texture and layering as elements that accompany the figure. I started doing this in 1994 or 1995, but of course there are exceptions. Some themes, such as the social and political themes that I have presented, should have other contextual objects. I drew the part depicting immigration and children left at the border, so there had to be visual indicators.

Some of my work, like the Winter Series, is very abstract. I grew up in Mexico City where the weather is beautiful all year round. I have never experienced a snowstorm. I never experienced extreme weather until I was 16 when I came to the US with my family. The series has been read by me. It got me thinking about the winter season and how strong it is in Chicago. It's 41 Winters because I was 41 when I created it. This is one winter for each year. This is an abstraction of winter. The landscape changes completely with snow. I mixed coffee beans into the paint because coffee is such a winter drink. There is warmth in coffee and it is a very American drink. This series is a reflection of winter, and I really wanted to do it.

WHAT IS YOUR STUDIO OR CREATIVE PROCESS UNIQUE?

I always need a big wall in my painting studio. I love the white wall. In addition to supplies, I like to have my own notebook. I've been wearing it for the last 18 years. There are images that I like and I look at them before I start a session. I also have books. I love listening to music, but I don't listen to any particular style of music. It has nothing to do with my art. Rather, if I have not heard a musician for a long time and want to listen to him again.

I do a lot of drops in my paintings and work with acrylics. And I do 95% of my work on paper. Then I glue the paper to the canvas. I work hard to get the perfect surface so that the paper and canvas are nice and wrinkle free. Most of my work is quite large - life-size figurines. I'm folding pieces to travel. My paintings are attached to stretched white canvas with grommets in each corner for nails. This is a very simple hanging method and very effective. This makes the painting look like a window or a door with a figure on the other side. It is both conceptual and practical. The border nicely and cleanly separates the figure. When a collector or individual buys my work, they can hang it like they would in a gallery. Or sometimes I can install the part on a wood panel.

HOW TO OWN AND DIRECTION ART NXT LEVEL PROJECTS, FORMERLY 33 MODERN GALLERY IMPROVED YOUR ART CAREER?

I have always dreamed of having my own art gallery. I'm interested in both the studio and the business side of the art world. Ten years ago, I asked some friends if they would like to open a gallery together, and we decided to do it. We found a spot in Chicago in an 80,000 square foot building they bought. These two world-famous artists purchased the building to create an art center -. We opened our gallery in the art center and grew together. I work in an art center as an exhibition director. We have renamed our gallery, formerly 33 Contemporary, to . We hold an open house on the first Friday of every month.

Owning and running a gallery has helped me understand how the art world works. I understand what's behind the scenes, how to approach a gallery and how to approach an institution. You must have an entrepreneurial attitude. Don't wait in your studio. You must go out and be present. You have to be where the people you want to work with are. Follow their progress and get to know them. And give yourself time to build that relationship. It may start with presenting yourself, appearing at the opening, and continuing to appear. Keep attending and learning about their work. Then they will know who you are. It's much better than sending someone a postcard.

YOU FOUNDED ART NXT LEVEL TO HELP ARTISTS DEVELOP IN THEIR CAREERS. CAN YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT IT AND HOW IT STARTED?

I have had a lot of experience in the art world as a gallery owner for 10 years and as an artist. My wife, Dr. Janina Gomez, has a PhD in Psychology. Just last year, we decided to combine all our experience and create. We help artists manage their artistic careers as well as their mental health and wellbeing. If you are healthy and positive, you feel better and have more energy. We are developing online webinars to teach artists concepts, such as how to create an exhibition. Right now we are doing one on . We are building a community and growing internationally. We also do podcasts. They give us access to a huge audience around the world that would otherwise be difficult to reach. Before that, I had never done a podcast. I had to get out of my comfort zone and learn something new. This is the attitude we teach artists to be goal oriented.

Every week we create a new podcast featuring people like artists, gallery directors and health and wellness experts. We also have something that , the founder of Artwork Archive came up with. We include resources that we think artists should be aware of. Podcasts are also great because you can listen to them while you work in the studio. with the gallery director and the artist. He owns a store in Chicago and was my mentor when I opened my gallery. He has a wealth of knowledge and gives a fantastic insight into how galleries work.

YOUR WORKS HAVE UNITED YOU ALL OVER THE WORLD AND ARE IN MUSEUM COLLECTIONS INCLUDING THE MIIT MUSEO INTERNAZIONALE ITALIA ARTE. TELL US ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE AND HOW IT ENHANCED YOUR CAREER.

It is a beautiful and humiliating experience to realize that an institution recognizes your work and makes one of your pieces part of their collection. It is humiliating to see my work being appreciated and changing the world for the better. However, this takes time. And if it happens overnight, it's not always sustainable. It may be an uphill journey and you may have a long way to go. But it pays off. Many dreams happen step by step and to one person at a time. Remember to focus on the relationships built along the way, you never know where they might lead.

I have a strong connection with the gallery in Italy and they introduced me to a monthly magazine distributed in northern Italy. It features museum developments in the area and around the world. I talk about what's going on in the Chicago art scene. I go to Italy every year and participate in a cultural exchange program. And we host Italian artists in Chicago.

My travels have brought a conscious awareness of what is happening around the world. They brought an understanding of cultures and how people work in the arts around the world.

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