MUSED: LA 2 HOU
MUSED: LA 2 HOU
MUSED: LA 2 HOU | Raul Rene Gonzalez | We Hustle Harder
If this was a perfect world, I wouldn’t be releasing an episode of my yet-to-be-announced, not-really-ready-to-launch podcast. It’s not a perfect world — in fact, a pandemic has turned everything upside down, and I decided, “WTH … I’m sharing my interview with artist Raul Rene...
The post MUSED Podcast: “We Hustle Harder” featuring Raul Rene Gonzalez appeared first on CauseConnect.
Check out more in-depth articles, stories, and photographs by Melissa Richardson Banks at www.melissarichardsonbanks.com. Learn more about CauseConnect at www.causeconnect.net.
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This
SPEAKER_01:is Melissa Richardson-Banks. Welcome to Mused, LADU. This is my podcast and I just wanted to Tell you that I'm not perfect. I know that's a surprise to a lot of you. I'm joking. Anyways, I have been planning this podcast for quite some time. And I got affected like everybody else with a pandemic. And I didn't want to be a pandemic podcaster, but here I am. All of my best laid plans went to hell. So I'm going to do this anyways. So this interview today... We Hustle Harder And when I found the print, which, by the way, is an embossed linocut, I must have misplaced the card that was with it, and I just couldn't read his handwriting. He should have been a doctor. So I went to social media and asked all my friends, and we had some close, some near misses, some close calls. And it wasn't until I was scrolling in my Instagram and I realized that It was him. So here's my interview. This is Melissa Richardson Banks, and I'm getting ready to call Raul Gonzalez because I have found out who the name of the artist behind this wonderful piece that I have. So here goes. Hey, so hold on here. Let me make sure we got you on. There you go. Okay. Raul. Perfect. Now you're inside. Raul. Oh my God. For the past two weeks, maybe I've been, I've, you know, like everybody else during this pandemic, I've been going through projects and things to do. And I started going through things I needed to frame. And I finally came across this piece and And I posted on Facebook because I couldn't figure out who did this piece. And it's this amazing piece that I want to know more about it. So I'm taping you now. So I hope you don't mind. I'm going to interview you because I just am so excited to find a person. So you're Raul Gonzalez. Let's first of all introduce you.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, well, actually, so now I've actually started using my middle name and everything. I've been going by Raul Rene Gonzalez. And the reason for that is there's this other artist named Raul Gonzalez from Boston, who apparently, I guess him and I are on the same sort of spectrum as far as, I don't know, I guess... Career-wise, I don't know. I just get a lot of emails from people who mistake me for him and vice versa. It's been going on for about four or five years. It's crazy. So I started just switching everything to Raul Rene Gonzalez. That way I can stand out on my website. Because I've had so many people contact me like, hey, is this your artwork? Just like what you're doing, except they've been looking for him. So it's just been kind of funny.
UNKNOWN:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So on Facebook, and I guess what I finally realized is that today we're not friends on Facebook, but actually as I was, maybe we are, but either way, I know that we're on Instagram. You and I share, I see you. In fact, that's what inspired me to kind of, it was the missing clue that hit me today. And I was going through, scrolling through like everybody else, you know, we're kind of pandemic scrolling. And I was like, wait, what? This could be a shortened version of Renee. So you would prefer Renee? Should I call you Raul or Renee? No,
SPEAKER_02:yeah, Raul. I just started adding my middle name. That way my name would stand out online,
SPEAKER_01:to be honest. Okay, so just for anyone that's looking to follow you, they need to make sure it's Raul, Renee Gonzalez. I appreciate that because I have three names, too, and I... Don't like it when people shorten my name to Melissa Banks as an ex-husband, but Melissa Richardson Banks. And just for everyone here that basically your Instagram, which one do you prefer? The workin underscore artist Raul Gonzalez, which is W-E-R-K-I-N underscore artist Raul Gonzalez, or do you also have another one?
SPEAKER_02:So that's, that's my, that's my personal, um, art. No, that's my artist Instagram. The only other one I have is for is Airbnb that I started, uh, which is work, workhouse essay. Yeah. That, so yeah, I, I basically turned, uh, one of my studios at home into an Airbnb as of a couple of years ago and it's, it was going extremely well until the pandemic happened. But, um, but yeah, you know, whatever that's, I
SPEAKER_01:know, right? So I first met you probably about, I was just trying to scroll through and figure out, it was probably about a year and a half ago. You had a show in Houston.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, at the Union. I think that's when we first met.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, yes, it was. And I think I took some photographs of you because I love to photograph artists.
UNKNOWN:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And I, you know, I purchased it, I guess, that evening and I didn't realize it because I think I tucked it away with other flat works thinking, okay, I'm going to frame this at some point. And today when I was going through my works that I wanted to frame, I looked at this and went, oh my God. who did this, and where did I, and I couldn't remember, and I kept thinking, I know, I know, it's going to hit me in the head here. And I put it on Facebook. I zoomed in and said, who is this artist? And I even got the year wrong. So tell me about this piece, because it was in 2014, not 2019. And it says, We Hustle Harder.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so I made it in 2014 while I was still in grad school at UTSA. And so I had taken multiple print classes so that way I can have access to the printing studios. And so this one in particular, it was a lino cut. But the one I printed all of them, I printed it so that way each of the prints got embossed. So I'm sure if you feel the text, it's raised. on all the prints so that way it had a different like it actually had like you know if you put your hand across you actually felt you actually can like read the text
SPEAKER_01:that's what blew me away by the way because I you know I collect I don't know if you if I told you this time I not only do I represent a collector but I also am a collector and I have my collection is based on prints and a variety of the types of printmaking and because there are so many when I saw this it was the emboss that got me so I was really curious so I'm glad you're sharing that again it's a lino cut and it's embossed and I I love
SPEAKER_02:it. Yeah. Yeah. Cause I was just, I mean, I was doing a lot of different type of printing. I was, uh, actually I, I think before I did these, I did a series of calligraphs. So I was already like working with the texture. And so I was like, well, let me do a line of color. Let's see if I can just get the same type of, you know, not the same type of texture, but obviously some, something that's raised, um, off of the print once I do. And so, yeah, I just, and like, and then I guess when I was designing the text, I would, I was thinking about, um, letters, um, sort of, I guess, illuminated by neon lights. And so I was thinking like, you know, the outline of the letters is like the glow of, would be the glow of the light. And so that's what I was thinking about when I designed the text. And yeah, and like I said, a little while ago, I was, just the phrase, we hustle harder. When I was drawing, you know, when I was drawing it out and sketching out the idea, I was actually first gonna make it Houston Hustles Harder. Because just because I was thinking honestly a lot about just, I guess at the time, I don't know, Houston sports teams. And so, but then like, I guess being in San Antonio, there's so much, there's such a big Spurs culture here. I was like, well, I don't want, I mean, let me, I'm in San Antonio. Let me not make something that says Houston hustles harder and try to show it everywhere because I would just piss everybody off. And so I was like, well, let me do it. We hustle harder. That way it can be about, who's ever sports team you feel like, but also just about, and I also started thinking about like, I guess while I was in the print shop, like I made 51 of these. So I just started thinking about like, I guess since I was doing a series of prints, I was thinking also just about the artists as like the artists community. We, we hustle harder just because like, I think just so many artists have so many different roles and responsibilities and wear different caps. Like they, every artist I know has different, multiple jobs or they the work that they do they do so much different types of things like they you know like they um their their spectrum they're not their spectrum of knowledge is why just because like you know an artist has to learn a lot of things to be able to work for yourself and etc so that's i guess that's where the whole idea of that phrase came from but um yeah yeah
SPEAKER_01:I know, and I love it, again, and the texture that's on here. And, you know, I was really, when I posted this on Facebook, I have a lot of friends who are type specialists, and they're like, who did those? Because, you know, it's a very simple thing. sans serif typeface in some ways, but when you look carefully at this, the R's, I mean, it's just like, and I'm curious a little bit about that process. And then don't let me forget that I also want to ask you why 51, why 51 of these prints? I don't know if you want to address which of those questions first.
SPEAKER_02:So the fifth, why did I do 51? I don't know. I mean, I know I wanted it to be, it was, so at this point, I only maybe had been doing printmaking, like period, for about, two years, maybe a year and a half. Like I, like that's all the, so I just, this, I wanted to have a lot, like I wanted to do a large series. Like I hadn't like the biggest one I had done prior to this was I think an addition of 10. So I was like, well, let me do, think of something that I can do, you know, that's really big. And so I guess I just thought 51, cause I guess at the time, at the time I was like, all right, I'm going to sell 50 and keep one.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, that makes sense.
SPEAKER_02:And so like, and I did like, Most of them are blue, but then I did make some silver ones and some red ones. I didn't sell them all. I think I still have, in my possession, maybe 20 or so. Maybe about 20. That's the number. As far as the design of the text... I don't really remember what I was inspired by. Like I said, the only thing I can think of, like, I know at that time I was, I was working with a lot of texts, like, um, with a lot of other, uh, you know, other, other phrases. And I was thinking about, um, finding ways to put them in neon. And so this was just like, I guess I does not like thinking about how I would, um, you know, different ways to like, create the letters with neon. And so this was just, I don't know, a version of that, but like with, I don't, I don't know. That's, but as far as like the way that our sits where it's like almost like a one and the sort of like this backwards nine kind of leaning against, I, I, I don't really know. I think I just drew a number of sketches and I was like, Oh, this one looks, this one stands out. And then, so this one, I don't
SPEAKER_01:know. Awesome. No, I, it's really, it's really awesome. It's very subtle, but it's just very, very awesome. And I, I, And I love the color, the texture, just everything about it. And then what was the other question? Oh, the other question was dealing with, now my brain just went, I don't remember. Well,
SPEAKER_02:you had said, you had asked about the text and then you asked about live 51. So I answered that one.
SPEAKER_01:You answered both of them. Got it. Okay. Yeah. I have COVID brain. No,
SPEAKER_02:I get it. So
SPEAKER_01:how are you doing right now? So you're back in San Antonio. I think when I, now I'm even looking back, I think we actually met in 2018. It's been a while because it has been over a year. And I know you had a show, I think at, is it called Houston Baptist College or what? There was a, you had a show, I thought. We're
SPEAKER_02:not friends on, because you're a little, we're friends on Facebook because you have Downtown Muse as your, unless there's another one.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, H-Town
SPEAKER_02:Muse. Yeah, H-Town Muse. So, no, we didn't meet at Houston.
SPEAKER_01:No, we didn't meet there, but I know you had a show afterwards.
SPEAKER_02:Well, yeah, because, so, yeah, I had a show at the Union, which I just had, it was part of a group show, but then I had a solo show at this space, which no longer exists at H-Town. It was called Forum 6. It was inside Spring Street Studios. My friends, Tony Parana and Eduardo Portillo.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, Tony also had that mobile art space too, which you also came through there as well. Yes, yes. I had an installation set up in there as well. And
SPEAKER_01:I just found the pictures on my Instagram when we met. It was on July 13, 2018. Yes. and because I took some photos of you. That was exactly
SPEAKER_02:two years ago. Crazy.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's crazy, right? So, and I'll be sure and I'll update that because I know you're going with your middle name on there just to have it on there, but it's like when we met, so pretty cool.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, but no, I'm still here in San Antonio since, I guess, since about March. My wife's been working from home. She works for UTSA. She works in their communications department, so she's been extremely busy, um, working from home and like, and we're lucky that we have like a spare room that we basically conferred into her office. So she's in there like every day, like eight to five. And like some days she'll come out, you know, intermittently or, you know, maybe 20 minutes here, 30 minutes there. But for the most part, it's like me with our two little girls who are three and a half and five and a half for the whole day. Um, which I'm used to, But, you know, I'm not used to not being able to take them to the park or take them to places where they can play with other kids. And so it's been hard. Like, I mean, for a little while, I just wasn't making any artwork for a little while. And so I finally got back in the groove. But I have been working on this, and it's been ongoing for several months. I've been working on this commission for San Antonio's– they just renovated the City Hall building. So I have– I have three paintings, or three panels, because it's not three paintings, it's three panels that are about five feet tall by two feet wide, and each of those panels, I've made a total of nine paintings highlighting San Antonio's historic sort of music, like a diverse and historic music scene, highlighting jazz, like jazz bands, Tejano bands and then also the 80s like a few of the heavy 80s heavy metal bands from San Antonio and so that deadline keeps getting pushed back so right as far as right now I should I mean I'll be finished with the work and by the end of this week but then we're we may not install until next I mean until August originally we were supposed to install back in April back in April but that you know got all pushed back now to August so I've been working on that and then I have um a couple other things. Like I have a show coming up in Fort Worth, a solo show at the Fort Worth community art center. And that will run September through October. I, I got a, I got a commission by this local collector here in San Antonio who owns this, um, apartment complex that they installed murals like this. Uh, like I, like, um, basically they'll print my artwork on this large vinyl. That's to be about, I think it's seven feet by 30 feet wide. So, um, I took some of my artwork and redesigned it and created this image that they'll install within the next few weeks. And that'll be up for a year. And then also, I won a grant a couple months ago from the Luminaria Artist Foundation of San Antonio. And with that, I'm starting next month. I'm starting a new body of work where I'll be basically painting artwork portraits or images of other texts of other artists, parents from Texas. So like to be showing like, and none, none of which who make artwork about parenting, like I do, but I want, and you know, instead of just highly focusing on what I like my day-to-day life, I'm going to, I'm going to be doing, I'm starting with six artists and they're going to be working with them to collect photographs of how they sort of wanted to just depict themselves of how they balance being an artist and a parent. And then I'm going to be, um, doing all those in as oil paintings
SPEAKER_01:oh my god
SPEAKER_02:and that'll be for a show that's a show that'll open next year so
SPEAKER_01:you're keeping busy so maybe it's like you are hustling harder
SPEAKER_02:yeah no i'm i'm i'm super busy i'm i'm glad my like all my deadlines are spread out so i can like because i mean i I try to work every day, but some days it just doesn't happen. I'm just too exhausted from, um, if I, we have a busy day where we're running outside with the kids who seem like they never seem to run out of energy. Um, you know, I may not work, but no, yeah, I'm totally like, you know, busting my butt, trying to keep things moving and chugging along and doing what I got to do. Um, amidst all, you know, amidst what's going on right now. I mean, I can't, just sit on my thumbs and hope for uh you know another stimulus check oh no
SPEAKER_01:well i'm really so a couple things like one thing you said really resonated with me because um it was dealing with the fact that you've been working by yourself or at least it at home or in solitude if you will not going out somewhere and i've been doing that for nearly 20 years myself and i you know i i I think it's kind of a mind game, as you said, because you're basically doing your routine that you've been doing, except you have to think more about where you can go or not go. It's not like I can go have an escape, like I go work at the local coffee shop, or I can go work with someone else elsewhere, or I can't just, oh my gosh, I need to get this. So it has... done that and that's been like it does mess with your mind on that way so i think for me it's having a routine and i hear you saying that and it's also studying not only the routine but also a schedule for myself and then immersing in projects and i definitely hear you doing that
SPEAKER_02:yeah definitely it's definitely helped um for sure
SPEAKER_01:and another thing you mentioned i you are you are originally from houston Correct?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. I'm born and raised in Houston. I grew up in North Central. I'll just say Central. If I say North Central, people think Spring or something. I grew about eight minutes outside of Not even, like the second exit out of downtown, that's where I grew up, like 45 and Cavalcade were like around the corner from Canino's, that produce.
SPEAKER_01:Oh my God, I love that place. Yes, are you
SPEAKER_02:kidding? We used to, from our apartment we grew up, we used to walk over there like every about once a month to go get, you know.
SPEAKER_01:When I first moved here, my brother took me there because he has a pecan tree and they had, you could go and you could actually get your pecans, you just dump in a bag of your pecans and it would sell them. And I laughed because I took a picture when I first got here. It says, we'll crack your nuts. My brother's in the front of it. I'm like, what? But anyways, and it's over on air. That's airline, right?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So I grew up like right around the corner because there's like a the intersection airline and cavalcade. And there, there's apartments that have got revamped fairly recently. And there was like a post office across, like I grew up right there. Um, but I, yeah, so I moved to San Antonio in 2012, um, for, for grad school. And then after grad school, we just settled down here. Um,
SPEAKER_01:awesome.
SPEAKER_02:It was a lot more affordable than Houston. So, um,
SPEAKER_01:I, I'm just so excited to reconnect with you and I, you
SPEAKER_02:know, super unexpected and, uh, just awesome. Yeah. Thanks. It's just, cool
SPEAKER_01:well what I'd like to do is I'll go ahead and I'll post this impromptu interview on my website and I'll put your We Hustle Harder and it sounds like you do have maybe 20 prints left so maybe you could send me a link to where if someone's interested in purchasing the We Hustle Harder I'm glad I have one of the low numbers but I know that there's others I'm sure and I'd love to get more information about your other shows so people know what you're doing and I'll Put a little bio so people know more information about you and how to follow you.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's awesome. Thanks so much.
SPEAKER_01:Well, this was great. It was a treat. And I'm really excited and I'm glad to hear you're doing well. And I really love, again, that connection, that work that you do, balancing parents and being a parent and being an artist. And I think that's really another topic I'd love to explore with you at a later date.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and it's awesome that, like, just like me getting into that topic. I've like just in Houston and San Antonio, I made a list of all the artists, parents, and some who are like couples. Like I have like a list of like 20 people. And so I'm like, once I do this body of work, I'm gonna keep doing it for like, I'm gonna do a whole series where it's like artists, couples who have been, you know, and there's like so many, it's crazy. Like more than way more than I even like would have expected, but it's a pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I'd love to talk to you again on another date, just on that topic alone. Um, but for right now, what I'd love to say is Raul, Renee Gonzalez, I am so grateful, Melissa Richardson-Banks here, that I found you again. And I'm so excited because that means now I can frame this and put it up in my home so I can enjoy it because it's such a great message. And I'd love to talk to you later about maybe there's some other projects because that topography is just... Amazing. So that being said, I'm going to close this out and then we'll talk later. So thanks again. Thanks for this impromptu Sunday morning interview.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, thank you too.
SPEAKER_01:Thanks so much for listening. So if you enjoyed this episode, Tell me, and if you didn't, don't tell me. I'll post it on SoundCloud, and you can also access it from my website, which is www.causeconnect.net. That's www.causeconnect.net. Thanks for listening.