Miguel Maltos Gonzales
San Antonio, TX
A print maker with a camera drawing his memories on to photographs
MessageMiguel is an American born artist from San Antonio, TX. He’s a Chicano photographer documenting the bicultural lifestyle of living in a monocultural world.
The illustrated people of color are drawn onto the photograph to resemble a memory, and the yellow circles represent the indigenous heritage. His indigenous ancestry is symbolized as sun beams guiding the person in the image. They are known as the people of the sun of the Yanaguana river. This land is now known as San Antonio, TX. Drawing colorful people is symbolic of how people of color are vibrantly expressive as they navigate an ethnocentric world, and at times still struggling to connect their internal mixed colonized family history. Mixing film photography and digital illustration represents the mixing of American and Mexican cultures. Balancing the existence between multiple languages, social practices, and at times a conflicting self identity. As each generation develops there is a language loss, and disconnection from ancestral ties. The Chicano arte (art) of Miguel Maltos Gonzales hopes to reconnect Mexican culture, American upbringing, and honor the indigenous heritage from pre colonization in each composition for future generations to know they will always be connected to their ancestors. Somos de aquí y de allá (I am from here and there).
Film photography captures the beauty in the land, and preserves the world we all share for generations to come. Each photograph is a finished image derived from a trusty fifty year old 35mm camera. The illustrated people of color are drawn on to the photographs to resemble a memory. Drawing colorful people is symbolic of how people of color are vibrantly expressive as they navigate an ethnocentric world, and at times still struggling to connect their internal mixed colonized family history. Balancing the existence between multiple languages, social practices, and at times a conflicting self identity. As each generation develops there is a language loss, and disconnection from ancestral ties. The Chicano arte (art) of Miguel Maltos Gonzales hopes to reconnect Mexican culture, American upbringing, and honor the indigenous heritage from pre colonization in each composition for future generations. In the Pacific Northwest, Miguel is developing ¡Taller Firme! to express his arte y cultura.
Statement
I photograph the world we all see with film, then illustrate bicultural subjects as vivid people that stand out. I illustrate my subjects with the color of diversity while engaged in the world both monocultural people and I see. I combine two mediums that have evolved from analog techniques to a commonly known digital process. Two mediums combined like being born into two cultures. This is my bicultural process.
Being bicultural, I live simultaneously in two sets of social practices, communicate in two languages, think with two mental processes, and are in a cultural state of uncertainty as a visitor that hasn’t arrived. My journey in creating bicultural art is to inspire those who see my work to look more carefully at the world around them, and perhaps join me on the journey of becoming more culturally aware of the community we live in.
All images copyright © Miguel Maltos Gonzales. Contact for commission work, collaborations and visit www.miguelgonzales.com to purchase prints and original photographs.
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