L AST LOOK
A EARN LOOK Acclaimed artist Ramiro Gomez’s limited-edition print brings a moment of peace. BY SA R A S M O L A
> In 2019, Mexican-American artist Ramiro Gomez was preparing for his solo show at the Charlie James Gallery, Here, For A Moment, which is an homage to working class people battling increasing pressures of contemporary American life, with socially charged themes of racial and economic disparity. A few weeks prior to the show, Gomez visited Pasadena’s Storrier-Stearns Japanese Garden seeking to clear his mind and recharge. Gomez found himself transfixed with a lone maintenance worker’s quiet focus as he gently, deliberately swept leaves, engrossed in his task. Months later, Gomez painted the scene on stretched cardboard, employing a loose, expressive style reflective of the garden’s calming nature, the worker being the still center of the composition. 92 PA S A D E N A
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For Gomez, there’s a personal significance in his quest to bring awareness to the lack of representation for the Latino community. Born to undocumented Mexican-immigrant parents in San Bernardino, the 35-year-old gained popularity in 2013, when he re-imagined David Hockney’s suburban socialite portraits, transforming them into provocative works by inserting laborers and domestic workers into the iconic settings. In response to the nation’s current climate of stress, Gomez released a new limited-edition print of the Storrier-Stearns garden scene with the hope that it might bring others moments of peace. Its universal message: The world is out of control, coming apart, but the worker is there, faithfully. Storrier-Stearns Japanese Garden, $400; cjamesgallery.com
