Orestes Gonzalez - Julio's House, 2017
*last copies

As an architect, Orestes Gonzalez takes us on a tour of his late uncle’s Little Havana home via interior photographs, exploring the space in itself; as a photographer, he offers an intimate approach allowing viewers to “sort through” the relics Julio Santana left behind after his death; and as a relative, he includes elements of memory, nostalgia and discovery, sharing newfound details of his uncle’s life.

The images within Julio’s House are not simply about recording the extravagant decor of the home or trove of mementos scattered throughout it, but rather about creating a portrait of his Cuban-American uncle, one that deconstructs his preconceived narrative of Julio’s life he formed as a child, and reveals an entirely new biography Gonzalez only learned of when sorting through his uncle’s belongings with another family member. 

Orestes Gonzalez (b. Havana, Cuba) is an artist based in New York. He holds a Bachelors of Architecture degree from the University of Texas. Gonzalez has produced work in over 40 countries, documenting culture and peculiarities he encounters. His work has been exhibited worldwide including shows at Station Independent Project in New York, The Center of Fine Art Photograph in Colorado, and Jeffrey Leder Gallery in New York.

ESSAY - Roula Seikaly

10 x 8.5" perfect-bound, hardcover
60 pages
Limited edition of 400

COLLECTIONS
Amon Carter Museum of Art
Arcadia University
British Library
Duke University
Guggenheim Museum
Hampshire College
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Museum of Modern Art
Ohio University
Schomburg Center / New York Public Library
University of Colorado Boulder
Yale University