Gabriel Gonzalez: Bridging the cultural divide

What do famed artists like Ansel Adams, Edward Steichen, Man Ray, and Salvador Dali have in common with a group of inner-city youths who spent the early 90s illegaly painting on public property under the moniker Cleveland Skribe Tribe? Well, if you asked fine art photographer, Gabriel Gonzalez, hed tell you its that he grew up idolizing all of them.

Born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, but raised mostly on Clevelands West side, Gonzalez has been documenting the world around him, in real time and real view, for the past 16 years. While hes also interested in drawing, painting and sculpture, the camera captures his environment just as he sees it; allowing him to speak for the masses when he tells his personal story. When featured in a recent publication of Neighborhood Voice, Gabriel asserted, "Its about getting your camera and just shooting, and through that, were telling this cultural story of Cleveland."


Puerto Rican Princess
To tell that story, hes currently working on a book with fellow artist Donald Black Jr., in which they will chronicle their real-life experiences of growing up on opposite ends of the city and meeting somewhere in the middle. Gonzalez is also fully engrossed in preparing for an upcoming exhibition at the Beachwood Community Center. He has managed to freeze moments of the rich and lively Puerto Rican culture so that he may share them with patrons of the centers Diversity Fest, which will run from March 6-27, 2011.

And while hes highly aware of what it means to be Puerto Rican in the United States, Gabriel is committed to making sure that when his art speaks, its not only spoken, or heard, in Spanish. Yes, he feels compelled to tell ...