Chris Gonzales-Aden
Christopher Gonzales-Aden grew up in the City of Commerce, a city located south-east of Los Angeles. He received his B.S. in drawing and painting from BIOLA university in 1996 and currently lives in Altadena, CA., with his lovely wife and children. They attend Saint Andrew Eastern Orthodox Christian church in Riverside, CA.
My artistic influences have alway been drawn toward the figurative. Caravagio, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Picasso and Van Gogh have always been favorites. Fortunately, In the last 25 years my influences have grown to include the likes of Thomas Eakins, Marcel Duchamp, Daumier, Rembrandt, Kathe Kollwitz, Albrecht Durer, Rico Lebrun and in a more contemporary time frame Odd Nerdrum, Ray Turner, Wayne Forte. Through Printmaking and Drawing I work mostly in the Genre of what is called “Biblical Narrative”, that is stories from the Scriptures, but also images from the stories of the lives of the saints. The distinction between illustrating a “Bible story” and doing what I am seeking to do, I believe is “intent”. It is not my hope to merely illustrate a story, but to draw from it places of connection with our own stories and our own conversations with God. I believe the artist is a fool, who through discipline and craftsmanship, plays and jests for his or her audience, providing the opportunity to see things from a different perspective and deepen their experiences.