Michael Gordon’s one of a kind art exhibit opens

His paintings can be seen in many art galleries in Belize, the rest of region, U.S.A., Asia and Europe. And while he is accomplished as an artist, Michael Gordon is humble in his lifestyle and you can find him in many places downtown Belize City, looking for what next to capture on canvas. His works often show his own unique perception of life. Jose Sanchez talks to Gordon on his third exhibition.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
He has exhibited in many group exhibitions since 1995, but November marks the third solo exhibition for forty-nine year old Michael Gordon. Over fifty paintings and sculptures are now on display at the Image Factory in Belize City.

Michael Gordon, Artist
“I usually paint home at my house. I paint out there at Brodies or I paint right in here at the corner of the building. It’s your own paint, water and easel put up into a corner. The colours are bright colours. I do it without the background of scenery of a special occasion like a outdoor blue and white. I just place a background, a bright background on it like It was molded there and things like that. And it come out, to me it comes out more better than if you set a person out into the open because that would bring an identical spot that would never, ever—the way how it finish it can’t finish like an identical work, it would finish like an artwork.”

A painter who has made a fortune of creating figures of exaggerated proportions is the Columbian artist, Fernando Botero. The abstract mind of Botero is parallel to that of Gordon, whose paintings are similarity in style. His characters, though recognizable, are gritty and raw and appear to be duplications of each other.

Michael Gordon
“I am not really a perfect artist right. I am just an artist who is trying to make myself realistic, things that are identical. And not everything I can do the first stage I can bring it out but some of them I have to put one side back into it.”

Jose Sanchez
“Do you think all artists are a little bit crazy?”

Michael Gordon
“You have to be real mad because if you are not mad people will not fear you. That’s my setback to some of these. That’s why I put them on advertisement. You see I could get that mad way to be because that’s what it needs, because it has already begun. And if you don’t get it you will be out of it because someone who is in and you need that place. That place is there for you.”

Michael Gordon New Works 2008 will be open until December fifth. Jose Sanchez for News Five.