I am primarily a self-taught, Cuban-born artist working in various media, including acrylic, clay and wood.   Recently, I studied under Ms. Eydi Lampasona, whose collage/mixed media works have won her regional, national and international awards.  During that time, I focused on learning the techniques of Assemblage, an art form that emerged in the 1950s pioneered by artists such as Louise Nevelson as a three-dimensional counterpart to collage.  Assemblage uses a collection of diverse items, such as found, discarded or obsolete objects, as well as collage elements such as papers, paints, polymer clay, metal pieces, and postage stamps.  Assemblage can be housed in boxes or mounted on various supports. 

Currently, I am exploring what I call “Reassemblages.” The works start with rough-hewn cedar planks, usually 9 foot 2”x4” or 2”x6” - an organic product shaped by man and machine.  Then, using axes and mallets, I rip these planks into pieces of various sizes and organic shapes.  These, in turn, I reassemble using Assemblage techniques to create new objects that pay attention to the random organic patterns generated by the breaking down of the wood, but, in fact, result in new objects shaped by man and muse.

José E. González

Parkland, Florida