Artist Paints Latino Workers Onto LA Landscape

Artist Ramiro Gomez wants wealthy Los Angeles residents to take notice of the armies of Latino workers -- gardeners, nannies, maids -- who labor to maintain their lifestyle. His life-size cardboard cutouts are being installed in public space while the nation holds a fierce political debate over immigration reform.

Published

2 months ago

Categories

US, Arts & Society

Topics

Hispanic Americans, United States, Arts & Culture

People

Ramiro Gomez

Places

United States of America, Mexico, California, Los Angeles

Transcript

SUGGESTED SCRIPT: It was two days before the Oscars, and Ramiro Gomez was preparing a message for Hollywood in the apartment that doubles as his artist studio. He often drives this stretch of LA -- during his day job as a nanny. And while he babysits, he's scouting out the next spot to install his artwork. SOUNDBITE 1 Ramiro Gomez (man), artist (English, 6 sec): "Driving around is definitely part of my artistic process because of the fact that a lot of locations are so spread out..." Today his target is Sunset Boulevard, in the heart of Beverly Hills. Gomez says most Americans don't see the armies of workers, usually Latino, who labor to keep them comfortable … So he puts them where they can't be missed. Site-specific, life-size — and disposable, like the cardboard they're made of. Faceless, they could be any worker — like Gomez's mom, a janitor, or dad, a truck driver, who were both born in Mexico. Or even Gomez himself: SOUNDBITE 2 Ramiro Gomez (man), artist (English, 23 sec): "When I'm creating these pieces, a lot of them are based on my own experience working as a babysitter. Nobody's going to give me an award for raising the best child at the park. Nobody's going to give somebody an award for cutting the best hedge -- or best performance in a mowing lawn. // It's very interesting to me because in Hollywood, this industry creates these awards for themselves." Twenty-six-year-old Gomez's art is coming of age in a time of change. His cutouts may be fragile and temporary -- but its effect ricochets online through social media. SOUNDBITE 3 Chon Noriega (man), director, UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center (English, 11 sec): (11 sec) "This is work that gets rained on, gets pulled out, thrown in garbage cans -- but in that moment, it's making visible something that people don't see otherwise." UPSOUND Ramiro Gomez in front of White House saying: "So my drawing was intended to go here..." And it's a visual cue for the immigration debate. In Washington DC on a visit, he had another message to deliver. UPSOUND Gomez describing what his work was like, "….a child on top of the shoulders of his father." SOUNDBITE 4 Ramiro Gomez (man), artist (English, 11 sec): "People are outside looking in, at a certain point. But eventually things change. I believe in that." Gomez's art may be about visibility — but there are still 11 million undocumented migrants waiting to come out of the shadows. SHOTLIST: WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, FEBRUARY 22, 2013, SOURCE: AFPTV - VAR of Ramiro Gomez in his apartment creating cardboard cut-outs for installation - MS Driving shot from inside windshield of La Cienega Boulevard - VAR of Gomez driving - SOUNDBITE 1 Ramiro Gomez (man), artist - MS Sunset Blvd sign - Zoom from Beverly Hills sign to gardener watering lawn - CU hose - Pan from gardener to cut-out installation in middle of Sunset Blvd - Two shots of Gomez installing cut-outs - VAR of cutout art - Two silhouette shots of Gomez - SOUNDBITE 2 Ramiro Gomez (man), artist - Cutaway: CU cardboard cut-out head of man LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, FEBRUARY 20, 2013, SOURCE: AFPTV - Pan from Gomez speaking at a reception for his exhibition at UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center - Pan on Gomez work showing nannies - Rack focus on VAR Gomez works on display - SOUNDBITE 3 Chon Noriega (man), director, UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center - CU Marc Jacobs logo in Gomez painting - MS of artwork showing Marc Jacobs duster and designer shovel WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 15, 2013, SOURCE: AFPTV - Gomez in front of White House showing sketch of cardboard cut-out he had installed the day before - VAR in front of White House WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 14, 2013, SOURCE: RAMIRO GOMEZ, ACCESS ALL - Zoom into Gomez photo showing his installation of a cardboard family in front of White House WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 15, 2013, SOURCE: AFPTV - SOUNDBITE 4 Ramiro Gomez (man), artist - Pan from Gomez to White House EXTRA RUSHES: 02:38 of footage showing: WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, FEBRUARY 22, 2013, SOURCE: AFPTV - VAR of Ramiro Gomez in his apartment working on Oscars-related piece - VAR artwork and paints in room, including self-portrait - Gomez driving - Pan across Sunset Blvd to Gomez - MS man watching Gomez - Starline Tour bus driving by - Pan from tourist taking picture to Beverly Hills sign - VAR Beverly Hills sign - VAR artwork LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, FEBRUARY 20, 2013, SOURCE: AFPTV - VAR Gomez outside UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center with a work showing a maintenance worer and a Facilities Management truck - VAR of exhibition including Gomez's magazine series WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 15, 2013, SOURCE: AFPTV - VAR Gomez outside White House