óscar ivan gonzález-díaz
Óscar González-Díaz (US/MX) holds an MFA (2017) in Fiber and Material Studies from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago and a BA in Philosophy and Linguistics from The University of Texas at El Paso. He has exhibited in the USA, Mexico, Germany and S. Korea. He lives in Chicago, IL., enjoys discussions about wallpapers and occasional displays of human kindness.
CNL: What is one thing you feel you have learned or experienced as an artist that you feel you can share with your peers and emerging artists in the field?
ODG: In the few years I have made art, I have learnt to value the multitude of solutions art fields like the one I am in can provide. Having been trained in academia and not art, the hypercritical space of the art classroom at the graduate level fit me like a glove. It was easy for those of us in that space to depend on theory and this often led to stagnant and impossible discussions on things art cannot fix. I find that as time allows me to grow away from that theoretically focused space, I am more myself in all of the realms of art that I am interested in and not only being ‘on the right track’ whatever that means. Incisiveness is needed at times, but the degree by which we can communicate effectively with those around us not in our field will lead to the actual change we want. I have learned that the relationships between subjects is infinitely more important than the subjects themselves.
CNL: What’s something that you’re seeking from others in the field to support your practice?
ODG: Camaraderie. While capital and its redistribution would be a more objective want, I often find that even without any capital when I feel welcomed and given space to create the relationships that redefine our diaspora, then I can thrive. Perhaps more importantly, that same drive gives way to the relationships my practice examines, so that at once my work is supported while expanding its mission. My goal is to advance the representation of those of us othered in the arts and its spaces. To share the voice we have with those that do not have theirs, with whatever tools we have and to whomever we can speak. I seek these moments where the othered speaks and the audience listens.
CNL: What’s a piece of advice you would share with other artists or cultural producers in your field?
ODG: Practically, find/make/bring/live your community and find ways to better it. If the collective grows, we all grow. Participate and show up, do it long enough and others will respond to that. Be a constant source of inspiration to yourself through your output into the world, review yourself and be kind while taking stock of what goes awry. Do not reduce yourself to the series of events that others can easily understand, we are nuanced and we cannot explain the whole of Us in one work, one title, one project description, one byline.
Ideally, burn the thing down. We are beyond anything salvageable. A violent act can only be redeemed with noble cause, this world is not a noble one. Just keep it in your mind that the world has not gone our way. There is loss and sadness everywhere and that cannot be resolved without restarting, but that doesn't mean you can't imagine a world where it doesn't exist and never has: work towards that if you can. And if you can’t, it is OK to enjoy yourself, you are finite and probably running behind schedule; have some fun.