Java.April.2016

ARTS
DAMIAN GOMES
Vacancy at Treeo
By Jenna Duncan
When embarking on the pursuit of a life’s passion,
such as fine art, young people often turn to the
masters and perform small feats of imitation, which
may take many forms. It may be in technique or subject
matter. It may also be in style, process or attitude.
For Damian Gomes (pronounced like gnomes, and not
like Gomez, as one might assume), approaching the
canvas and borrowing from the masters might be part
of the process, but it seems much of his attraction to
painting comes from mastering oil as a medium, and
not simply pumping out product. “I tried acrylic, but
just couldn’t get the results I was looking for,” Gomes
says about his new works in oil, now on view at
Treeo Gallery on 6th Street near Roosevelt.
Though he’s been embracing sketching and drawing
for years, Gomes is new to painting, he says.
He worked for almost a decade as a hair stylist,
migrating around different Phoenix salons including
Swank and R Salon. “I worked at Snapdragon for
six years. I just quit doing hair a few months ago,”
he says. There is something about painting that just
drew him in. He moved to a bigger space and made
his former home into a studio. His works range from
moderate portrait-sized (around 24” by 36”) to larger
works on canvas often exceeding six feet per side.
He says that while part of his process is learning
the best technique for moving colors around his
canvas, part of the process is to develop a palette,
too. Current works are rich in earth tones, mostly
figurative in nature, and sometimes evocative of,
yes, many of the masters in oil, abstract and classic
(Francis Bacon and Fritz Scholder come to mind).
One large, smudged oil image (“Bully”) resembles
a fierce, aggressive, one-horned bull. A romantic
soft-focus pink nude evokes the sentimental feelings
of Valentine’s Day. Another figure sits at rest with a
beer can.
Gomes says he works with a product called oil bar,
smudging thick black marks like coal across some
images and smooth, creamy whites across others.
The process can be messy, he says, and it takes time
to tidy up before a studio visit. “Half the time I’m just
painting with my fingers and these crazy brushes I
buy at Home Depot,” he says.
Styling hair is a very kinesthetic exercise, and certain
similarities between Gomes’ previous work and his
painting are notable. Hair styling keeps the stylist
on his feet for hours at a time, and a transition to
painting isn’t too strange in that regard. Painters,
especially those who work large scale, often have
to strain and stretch, or sit in one pose for hours.
Both jobs can be taxing on the body over time. And
Gomes says he’s always had ideas come to him when
he’s working with his hands, whether his hands are
immersed in water and shampoo or turpentine and
oil paint.
Damian Gomes: Vacancy
Through April 11
Treeo
906 N. 6th St., Phoenix
www.treeohouse.com
Facebook (Damian Gomes)
Instagram (@damian_gomes).
16 JAVA
MAGAZINE