The Art of Ramiro Gomez
The subversive beauty of “Domestic Scenes”
Ramiro Gomez was born in San Bernardino, California, in 1986 to undocumented immigrant parents. The art he would grow up to make is a sly comment on the world he inhabited, deconstructing the divide between the privileged few and their invisible domestic help—nannies, gardeners, housekeepers, pool cleaners. In Hockney-esque images of tranquil Southern California affluence, he inserts these workers, making them the drab centerpiece of their colorful, modernist landscape. And Gomez would also insert cardboard figures of “the help” in real-life environments, creating a satirical installation that redefines the role of art in our lives.
Lawrence Wechsler’s book, Domestic Scenes: The Art of Ramiro Gomez, published by Abrams this spring, engages Gomez and his work and explores how it questions social inequities and clashes of class and culture. Here are some images from its pages.
