Horizon

As the Great Depression ravaged through the United States, Franklin Roosevelt said that people look towards the horizon to find new hope. What is it about that disappearing beyond, where the sky always seems clearer, or the break of day that brings us optimism and hope? When one stands on the edge of the coast, it's as if time stops the moment the sun touches on the sea--making it seem that all things are possible. It is a singular experience of visual beauty that captures the dreams of humanity quite unlike anything else.

Painter Rudolf Gonzalez captures this effervescent feeling through a practice that combines the expressionistic latitude of that emotion with a technique that perfectly captures the interplay of light and shadow in landscapes. Entitled "Horizon," the highly talented Gonzalez presents new works from December 4 to 18, 2014 at Galleria Nicolas in Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Makati City.

Galleria Nicolas is located at the Third Floor Art Space of Glorietta 4, Ayala Center in Makati City. For more information, please call (632) 723-9418 or email gallerianicolas@gmail.com. Please visit their website at www.gallerianicolas.com.

The mercurial Rudolf Gonzalez is often considered a master of seascapes. Having a degree in advertising from the Far Eastern University, Gonzalez is exceptionally empathic in his ability to evoke emotions through his visuals. There is an element of realism in Gonzalez' works, but of an idyllic sort that recalls the oeuvre of Fernando Amorsolo in capturing the essence of light, and Juvenal Sanso in establishing an emotional resonance with his audience. It isn't all together surprising, then, that the artist counts Rembrandt and John Singer Sargent as his influences--both artists were pioneers in their experiments with light and shadow.

But Gonzalez chose to focus his talent on seascapes. Having spent considerable part of his life in the United States, he developed a close affinity to the island of Hawaii and its picturesque coastline. He was also drawn to that State's large community of Filipino artists. This combination eventually lent inspiration to Gonzalez, who quickly developed a large oeuvre of seascapes.

It's no wonder that Gonzalez has been attracting critical attention in recent years. Having exhibited in expositions in Chicago and Los Angeles, his works have been carried by galleries in the US and Japan, and have been sought-after by collectors from all over the world. "Horizon," is meant to cement the artist's growing presence in the larger Philippine art community--a presence that will undoubtedly experience more attention in the years ahead.