Juan Gonzalez (artist)

Juan González (January 12, 1942 – December 24, 1993) was an important twentieth-century

Following his Whitney showing, González secured a solo exhibition at the Allan Stone Gallery of New York City, which was held in May 1972 and focused on González's largescale abstract works.^[6] The following month, González presented his thesis exhibition and attained his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Miami. Shortly afterward, González made arrangements to permanently relocate to New York City and have the Permuys assume the lease of his art studio.^[7] This led to it being converted into the Permuy Gallery that year, becoming one of the first Cuban art galleries in the United States.^[7][9] González became an active participant in the gallery and would attend openings and participate in group exhibitions to maintain a presence in the arts of South Florida.^[10][11]

After having established himself in New York, in 1974 González exhibited in

Throughout the rest of his career, González would continue to see his profile rise as he participated in several traveling solo and group exhibitions, win prestigious awards, and have his works added to the permanent collection of renown institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art.^[12] In the early 1980s he further exhibited internationally in Colombia (1981) and Japan (1983) and was appointed to serve as a panelist on the New York State Council on the Arts.^[12] The 1980s and '90s would also see González win the National Endowment for the Arts three times (1980, 1985, 1991).^[12] He also maintained significant ties to the emerging South Florida art market and continued to exhibit there while residing in New York. In 1982 González would participate in a joint exhibition with Baruj Salinas. The show was noteworthy due to both artists being by that point firmly established Cuban art figures as well as sharing a common background in Miami as the springboard for their later success. Held in Miami-Dade College, the exhibition was noted by critics for the jarring contrasts in their styles as González work showcased his hyperrealist detailing while Salinas' work displayed his signature Abstract Expressionist-influenced style.^[14]

González also remained connected with his ex-wife, Josefina Camacho, her second husband

González career was the subject of the 1980 book Juan González: A Twentieth Century Baroque Painter[19] (republished in 1991) as well as an in-depth, career-spanning retrospective book, Dreamscapes: The Art of Juan Gonzalez, written by Irene McManus and published by Hudson Hills Press.^[2]

González's art has been sold at leading fine art auction houses, including Sotheby's and Phillips.^[20][21]

Style

González became known during the rise of the

Throughout his career, González' themes and subject matter included religion,[23] reinterpreted scenes from art history, portraits of family and friends, and psychologically introspective expressions of identity (via self-portraits) and his struggle with AIDS. His works were characterized by their rich detail, lifelike realism, and symbolism.^[24] Gonzalez's medium's included airbrush, oil, and acrylic paint as well as color pencil to facilitate his focused detailing.

Awards

• 1991, 1985, 1980 National Endowment for the Arts^[12]
• 1977 CAPS (Creative Artists Program Services)^[12]
• 1976, 1974
  Cintas Fellowship Award^[12]
• 1984-1987 Board of Governors, New York Foundation for the Arts^[12]
• 1979-1982 Served as a panelist on the New York State Council on the Arts^[12]
• 1971 Lowe Museum Ward Award.^[6]
• 1970, 1971 Klenkenberg Award, Lowe Art Museum^[25]

Exhibitions

Select Solo Exhibitions:

• 1997 “Juan Gonzalez: Enchanted Visions,” Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, Florida^[12]
• 1993 International Bird Museum, Boca Raton, Florida^[12]
• 1991-92 The Meadows Museum, Dallas, Texas; Traveling to: Center for the Fine Arts, Miami, Florida; City Gallery of Contemporary Art, Raleigh, North Carolina; Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, Massachusetts^[12]
• 1991 Nancy Hoffman Gallery, New York^[12]
• 1988
  Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art, Ohio^[12]
• 1985 Nancy Hoffman Gallery, New York[12]
• 1982 Nancy Hoffman Gallery, New York^[12]
• 1981
  Center for Inter-American Relations, New York^[12]
• 1980-81 Frances Wolfson Art Gallery, Miami-Dade Community College, Florida; Traveling to: Gibbes Art Gallery, Charleston, South Carolina[12]
• 1978 Nancy Hoffman Gallery, New York^[12]
• 1978 Tomasulo Gallery, Union College, Cranford, New Jersey^[12]
• 1975 Nancy Hoffman Gallery, New York^[12]
• 1973 Corcoran and Corcoran, Miami Florida^[12]
• 1972 Allan Stone Gallery, New York^[12]

Collections

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York^[26]
• Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois^[1]
• The Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania^[12]
• Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.^[12]
• Chase Manhattan Bank, New York^[12]
• Bacardi Collection, Miami, Florida^[12]
• Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art, Ohio^[12]
• Danforth Museum of Art, Framingham, Massachusetts[12]
• Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indiana^[12]
• The Meadows Museum, Dallas, Texas^[12]
• University of Oklahoma at Norman^[12]
• Vassar College Art Gallery, Poughkeepsie^[12]
• The Seavest Collection[27]
• Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida^[28]
• Pinedo Collection, Miami, Florida ^[2]
• Permuy Collection, Coral Gables, Florida ^[10]
• Allan Stone Collection, New York, New York^[29]

References