The work of Raul Gonzo, a Latin American photographer and filmmaker living in California, immerses us in a world of vibrant colors, made up of fantastical sets, costumes, and narratives. A cinematic universe that has grown stronger over the years, just waiting to be explored.
A director and photographer since 2010, Raul Gonzo approaches his images with the colorful vision and illusion of a child creating a doll's stereotypical world. This apparent innocence is coupled with an affinity for vintage aesthetics and a certain geometric (de)construction. His career began with the self-production of his first works, which led to him being noticed and commissioned to create music videos.
Simultaneously, his artistic universe took shape and was revealed through photographs he compiled in a series called Color Madness. His visual language emerged through sequences that recomposed and subverted everyday life. Professional, public, or domestic evocations were disrupted by the artificiality of the poses and superfluous sets. The resulting stories seemed to have sprung from a 1950s film or an illusionist's show.
Model: Haley Jensen / Makeup: Mandie Fenrich
Hair: Jodie Collins / Clothing: Gucci
Models: Jacob Collier, Kimbra / Makeup: Mandie Fenrich
Hair: Jodie Collins / Clothing: Vintage
THE GAME OF SETTING
Her work thus lies at the intersection of contemporary art and cinema, as confirmed by her first short film, Margo Hoo Couldn't Sleep!, released in 2018. This film recounts the nocturnal misadventures of a young girl who can't sleep and takes advantage of this to invent a world for herself and explore that of her neighbors… Here, the dreamlike narrative is driven by the creation of a complete scenographic universe where the setting becomes a character, and where the characters seem to converse with objects. This characteristic is also present in her music videos and through her construction of conceptual sets, as seen in Half of Everything.
His work with objects allows us to better understand his inspirations. Thus we perceive his attraction to children's books and their illustrations – including the cartoon animal characters drawn by Dr. Seuss – and the influence of the early films of Tim Burton and the work of Wes Anderson: a compilation of inspirations crossing childhood and adulthood, spontaneity and social discomfort, narrative stereotypes and pop humor.
Model: Mosh / Mask: Heidi Lee / Gloves: Jodie Collins / Assistant: Sarah Cabigas
Model: Alina Lee Phillips / Hair & Makeup: Samantha Williams
Clothing: Vintage
