THE WORLDLY FEATURED ARTIST

GIL DOMINGUEZ

BIO
I was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in a Puerto Rican household in a housing project called Brownsville. I had the good fortune of having an older sister who would take me to the wonderful art museums of Manhattan where I marveled at the works of the old and modern masters. When I was ten years old my family migrated to the west coast and I grew up in and around the city of Los Angeles. I attended Santa Monica High School and I had a wonderful teacher who further cultivated my interest in art. After a year of college, the Viet Nam War was gearing up. Being politically naïve and facing being drafted I decided to enlist in the Air Force where I served in Korea and Greece. My tenure with the military proved to be a bad marriage and miraculously, I was honorably discharged in 1971. When I was stationed in Greece I was fortunate to spend many hours at the National Museum and I resonated with the many of the sculptural works there.

I decided to remain in Europe and I studied art at the Hammersmith College of Art in London. There I was exposed to the works of British artists like David Hockney, Bridget Riley, and Alan Jones. Interestingly, it was there that I discovered Richard Diebenkorn’s 'Ocean Park Series' that were based on the neighborhood where I spent teenage years. I was also very impressed with the works of Rothko and many of the New York School of artists like De Kooning and Rauschenberg. I returned to the United States and settled in San Francisco. There, I resumed my art education and I attended the City College of San Francisco, the Art Institute, and the Academy of Art College.

The 1980’s rekindled my desire to create art. The Reagan years inspired me to create socio-political paintings of men in power and the undercurrent of violence that pervades our society. In 1981, I returned to New York with the intention of participating in the art world. I needed a place to stay and I found myself checking into a rather downtrodden hotel called 'The Carlton Arms Hotel'. Eventually, I would be employed there and I began painting murals throughout the hallways. My intention was to attract other artists and the hotel became well known for its unique rooms that were a work of art. Throughout this period I continued to develop my painting. The social political content gave way to a more abstract vision that had deep psychological connotations. Meanwhile, The Carlton Arms became celebrated as an internationally recognized 'Art Hotel'.

In 1996 I returned to California and settled in San Diego. My work has continued to evolve into an expression of metaphysical observations/discoveries. I also have been fortunate to participate in several mural projects including the Market Creek Community Faces Project.. I have a small number of people who have encouraged me to continue painting and have been kind enough to purchase my work. My audience is appreciative of the type of work that I do and this helps to keep me motivated. My work appeals to people with an interest in the painterly aspects of art and with a tendency towards spiritual awareness.