by James Daichendt
Excerpt:
“Ken Gonzales-Day is best known for his conceptually-rich photographs. Notable among them is his “Erased Lynching” series, where he digitally removed execution victims from vintage postcards to draw attention to the expunging of Latinos from the history of lynching, which is often associated with particular races and geographical areas. During the Fall ’17 season, Gonzales-Day’s work will be exhibited at Luis De Jesus Gallery, The Guggenheim Gallery at Chapman University, Lancaster Museum of Art and History, and the Skirball Cultural Center. An artist with a sincere interest in art history and cultural issues, his exhibition at the Skirball, “Surface Tension,” engages the mural landscape of Los Angeles and the many issues surrounding graphic arts in the public square.
Deservedly, Gonzales-Day is enjoying a significant amount of attention and reflection for his work during the Getty-funded Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA initiative, which features Latino and Latin American Art at institutions and galleries across Southern California. For the Skirball, Gonzales-Day’s involvement began when the center commissioned him to create a new body of work. Inspired by the work of Anita Brenner (1905-1974), a Mexican born, American Jewish writer that played an integral role in promoting Mexican art and culture in the United States. The exhibit entitled: “Another Promised Land: Anita Brenner’s Mexico” is planned to run concurrently to Gonzales-Day’s at the Skirball, so he could build upon and react to it as a historical foundation. Brenner was an integral part of the art and cultural scene of Mexico in the early 20th century. The exhibition explores her important role with works by Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and Frida Kahlo and how she promoted and educated American audiences to the role of Modernism south of the border…”
To read full article: KCET Los Angeles