Exposing Desires by Raymond Gonzalez

Artist’s Statement

The exploration of the overlap and interrelation between child play, desire, adult play, and sensuality informs the basis of my art. Many of our toys were handed down from generation to generation including Lincoln Logs, Lego’s, and wooden blocks. I capture the appeal of those toys that endured time and technology. In someway, my art is a conceptualization of my life long pursuit of play. At the same time references to adult play inform my work through color, texture, and material. Therefore the audience is able to enjoy the work for its quality of design, stimulating surfaces, suggested interactivity, and references to sensuality.
The work confronts ideas of beauty in the surfaces and ornamentation of the toys. Alternative materials including flocking, automotive urethane, rhinestones, and monofilament serve to accentuate the forms and flaunt their tactile nature. The most recent series, Fetishes, reference both the historical of a ritualistic object as well as the contemporary interpretation of an object of intense sensual desire. The aesthetic value of these pieces transcends its value as a plaything. The unification of these series lays in the formal and conceptual pursuit to evoke memories of play.
The embodiment of toy-like qualities and beckoning visual interaction allow the viewer an instant that they can explore the times in which they played, the times when stresses were few. Toys allow us to recall memories we do not consider with on a daily basis. It is at holidays or birthdays that we tend to mine memories of our childhood. While physical interaction is not allowed, it is this desire coupled with visual cues that are conjure memories of play.
The abstract qualities allow the viewer to create a memory of their own therefore allowing the work to relate specifically to them. In adulthood our play takes on different forms all which link to our nostalgia of childhood: a game of cards, tinkering on an old car, or participating in sports. My toys provide a temporary visual escape for the viewer in which they may reflect upon their memories and question how they played, why they played, and how they continue to play.