GARY GOLDBERG

STATEMENT

I have been photographing the unique qualities of Oaxaca City, Mexico for over twenty years, but only in the last several years have I seen Oaxaca in a way that I believe is truly mine.  In my most recent body of work, I have come to see Oaxaca - its land, its sky, its cosmos - through its textured and richly layered walls and facades.   

This body of photographic work is imbued with references to landscape, twentieth century art history, meditative states, and Mexican mythologies. The formal qualities are basic: one shape on a color ground, two colors at their intersections, scale, and land-sky relationships. As I interpret Oaxaca, I am inspired by the color field painters while remaining true to my vision of Oaxaca by highlighting the city’s ancient patina and depth.  My work is contemplative in nature. I am exploring quiet moments that have a transformative quality.  My photographs ask the viewer to decipher the image: what am I looking at, what is the scale, what does the viewer see in this photographic image? I want the audience to complete the circle of understanding by using their own perceptions, experiences, and thought processes to complete their viewing activity. 

Many of my photographs have been transformed into textiles using a dry felting process at Taller Afelpado, San Agustín Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico. Each textile is hand made by a team of three artisans, often taking up to three weeks to complete. The wool used is dyed with natural pigments such as cochineal and indigo.

In this time of discord between the United States and Mexico, I see this beautifully meditative and layered work as a healing antidote which can reach a wide audience. Tens of thousands of Oaxaqueños have left their homeland and now live in the United States. Today, critical cultural, economic, and political ties connect the Oaxacan people with the people of the United States.  It is my desire to create a beautiful exhibition that speaks to and values artworks which explore our collective, contemplative common ground.