The Homebodies series explores the personal spaces of community members, the artworks and interesting objects they’ve collected through the years, and how those pieces live with them every day. For a few posts, we’ve asked members of our gallery committee for a tour. Up now is Häsler R. Gómez, local artist and Creative Director of Ave Collective.
1. This little segment captures the general spirit of my collection: from the hand made pottery, to the artist monoliths, to the Richard Jackson baby face, to the Teri Barnes photograph that I fell in love with the moment I saw it, to one of my never seen letterpress prints. My collection is made up of work by artists whose work I admire and genuinely love, but also artists that I’m lucky to call friends.
2. Here is a ceramic sculpture by Cullen Wegman next to one of my artist proof prints. Fun fact: my dog, Linus, is very untrusting of this little guy.
3. Here is another Richard Jackson piece, gifted to me after my first solo show, which was actually at Holland Project. Next to it is a piece made by my best friend and fellow “sculpture twin” Kara Savant as an ode to me and my work. The seemingly nonsensical poster is a letterpress print by another friend Mason Smith which was a result of a Dada poem assignment.
4. The large black print was a gift from Lauren Cardenas which I absolutely fell in love with when I saw it exhibited at McKinley Arts Center; there’s a secret message behind the smaller print. Next to it is the only surviving “punch painting” from my very short stint as a “painter” the summer before my thesis year of the BFA program at UNR. I made a total of about 12, 3 showed up in my thesis, but this is the only one that still exists.
5. The most recent addition to my collection comes from Cesar Piedra and I feel so lucky to have it. My home is also full of Cesar’s flint heads as well as handmade vessels.
6. This is a screen print by my “Puddin’” Depaul Vera. If my parent’s ask, they’re clouds. But between you and me it just might be a rendering of my cumshot.
7. These two flash paintings were gifts from Ehren Bristol (@darth_ehren on Instagram) from Pale Horse Social Club. I’ve been getting tattooed for a little over a year and already have over 30 tattoos, so you can say I’m a little addicted. What draws me most to tattoos as an artform is the community it creates, the history, but also the connection that is forges with the artist–it is far more intimate than any other artform and I believe it achieves what all artwork in the end attempts to due, which is communicate or transfer something from one individual to another, plus you end up looking pretty rad.
8. My home is full of small ceramic works from unknown artists that I’ve collected as well as small artist proofs.