Bold and experimental solo exhibition explores ideas around seeing and being seen
February 19, 2015
High-res jpegs are available in the online media room.
‘A Man in the Shadows’ opens Friday, Feb. 27 at the Anchorage Museum
Mariano Gonzales has a reputation for fearlessness. He is bold and experimental as artist, activist, and educator at the University of Alaska Anchorage. This fearlessness was evident in his early work as a metalsmith, and it pervades his more recent work exploring digital printing on everything from metal to tortillas. Gonzales' artwork explores and expresses his political views. For him, art making is an opportunity for observation and critical commentary.
In his solo exhibition, “A Man in the Shadows,” on view Feb. 27 through April 19 at the Anchorage Museum, Gonzales’ collection of his newest digital prints on metal transform flat images into three-dimensional and bas-relief artworks. Gonzales says the works in this exhibition are his “reflections on seeing and being seen.” Some of the works appear to be looking at the observer, and some become kinetic when viewed from different vantage points.
A Texan by birth with deep Latino roots, Gonzales has resided in Alaska since 1959. Trained professionally at the Rhode Island School of Design, he has exhibited widely throughout Alaska. His works are in several public collections, including the Anchorage Museum.
Artist on the Floor: Gonzales discusses his work during the opening of his solo exhibition from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27. Included with museum admission
The Patricia B. Wolf Solo Exhibition Series is presented with generous support from the Alaska State Council on the Arts; the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; the Municipality of Anchorage; and the Anchorage Museum Foundation’s Alaska Airlines Silver Anniversary Fund.
Also opening Feb. 27 is “Sámi Stories: Art and Identity of an Arctic People.” The Sámi are the indigenous people living in Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula in Russia. This exhibition features works from the Art Museum of Northern Norway and the Tromsø University Museum and offers 21st century perspectives on Sámi art and politics. “Sámi Stories,” on view Feb. 27 through May 10, presents an overview, rather than a full chronological timeline, of Sámi history and identity. Central themes are citizenship, identity and community belonging. Illuminating works by contemporary Sámi artists reveal the dichotomy that exists between the Sámi and the indigenous peoples of the U.S. and Canada, as well as the similarities shared by these Northern Native peoples. Related events include a symposium at UAA on Feb. 27 and curator talks at the museum on Feb. 27 and March 1. Full schedule online, https://www.anchoragemuseum.org/exhibits-events/calendar/.
ANCHORAGE MUSEUM
The Anchorage Museum is the largest museum in Alaska and one of the top 10 most visited attractions in the state. The museum’s mission is to connect people, expand perspectives and encourage global dialogue about the North and its distinct environment. Learn more at anchoragemuseum.org.
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