Information provided by the Artist: Raúl Gonzo is a Latin American artist based in Sacramento, California, known best for his bold, campy, colorful music videos and photographs. All of Gonzo’s works are staged, and he employs models and performers to play characters within his artist-made sets. Playing off popular culture, Gonzo creates relatable, yet unrealistic scenes of everyday life. In each image, there is a reference to consumerism with satirical and humorous nods to childhood, Alfred Hitchcock films, music videos, Pop art, television game shows, stereotypes, and ideals of beauty. Gonzo’s works offer an interesting dichotomy: they are at once superficial and deep. They ask viewers to embrace surface-level color and composition while also asking viewers to consider how American culture can be reimagined and critiqued through the smallest of details. Raúl had a solo exhibition at the Crocker Art Museum in 2024, and his work is represented in the Crocker's permanent collection.