Today we’d like to introduce you to Sol Gonzalez
Hi Sol, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
As much as I appreciated art growing up, I didn’t have any plan to make it into a career or a job. That was, until I spent a few years in the workforce and started to question how well I’d fit into that whole matrix. Between some mental health issues, moving home, and just trying to find anything I could throw at the wall, I quit my job in software, picked up a part time retail job, and spent my free time working on art. I started figuring out how to sell it, how to manage it as a small business, and how to make it better.
That was in the fall 2021, and now nearing the end of 2024 I can say a lot has changed for me, for the better!
Art brought a sense of enthusiasm, exploration, humor, and curiosity out of me that I wasn’t sure I could ever find. I love to make art that captures these uplifted feelings; I don’t take it overly seriously, and I think that’s part of what has made it work.
Art has given me an avenue to connect with such a variety of people, and I feel lucky to have a platform to spread good feelings and encourage others to let art play a bigger role in their lives.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The ‘art world’ isn’t known for being particularly inclusive or flexible. By reading art history books, going to more galleries, participating more… it was easy to see the systemic issues that art has inherited as a business. It’s definitely not ‘easy’ if you don’t have a plethora of resources or mentors. It’s a slow moving vehicle, and you have to be fine with not getting a single cent or cookie for what you create.
I don’t think I’ve let these issues get in the way of actually making art, though, and that’s the whole catch! There are still ways to share your art with the world and be seen, without throwing yourself into the nasty side of it. You just have to enjoy the art itself, stay curious about it, and let it be intrinsic.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a multimedia artist; I’ve dabbled for three years in a mix of things! Linocut printing, ink painting, and watercolor have definitely stuck with me the strongest.
My style is largely inspired by the American southwest, my own Mexican American culture, my own wanderings in my mind. I love animals, dogs especially, I just don’t get sick of drawing chihuahuas.
I think what sets me apart is the sense of freedom I put into my work. There are imperfections to be found, and maybe my materials aren’t anything special, but I like to think my art is authentic. I rarely let a project haunt me for more than a day; I churn out pieces like a machine. I feel like I always have so many ideas that I feel like I need to get them all out, then revisit each one in a totally different medium. So the initial pieces might seem very simple, or pRiMiTiVe, but over months and years they turn into more works that are more complex, more time consuming, all that.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love our city’s landscape and architectural charm. It’s extremely easy to romanticize Salt Lake just visually. We’re very lucky to have slices of history preserved here; we don’t have hurricanes or alligators. I also love our food scene, how easy it is to regularly have the best meal of your life, and you can find it pretty much everywhere.
I guess I hate our air quality, our own struggle against our government as opposed to our environment. Of course I don’t like that I can’t afford a studio apartment in the same city I was born, nor can I afford it in the next city over, or the next.
But, having traveled enough in the world, there’s pros and cons to everywhere! At least we won’t have any sharknados here.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://theepocha.com
- Instagram: @theepocha
