I am loathed to use the term Lowbrow Art these days as it seems to encompass way to many artists and styles, basically from pinstripers to Mark Ryden…if you get my drift.

So l’m going to back to a more technical term when describing the work of the very prolific and elusive El Gato Gomez… “Really Cool Paintings”.

A full time artist (with a graphic design background) for 20 or so years she has discovered a ‘Mad Scientist’ mentality of late which l think is reflected not only in the content of the paintings but sheer volume of her output.

Where does name El Gato Gomez spring from? Well… it was a cat character that she created years back that has now become the name she shows under.

Here’s what El Gato Gomez has to say about her work and what inspires it.

“There are some space pieces, cats, architectural, tiki, abstract, and pin-up girls in the mix. I have a broad range of interests when it comes to my subject matter, but they are all inspired by iconic mid century themes and imagery. I have always been attracted to the art and design of this era. Everything from  the album cover art and advertising graphics to Googie architecture, Polynesian pop, beat culture, pin-up art, and lately, sci-fi/fantasy really rocks my boat”.

“I adore the whole feel and have immersed myself heart and soul into a kind of artistic time warp. A lot of the pleasure I get from creating my art comes from the hours spent researching classic styles and techniques and trying to find away to integrate them into my work. Attempting to keep true to these design principles adds to the vintage vibe.”

I have decided to include this short piece on El Gato Gomez on the CN site knowing full well she is not 100% tiki but also knowing that many of you will love her work as l do.

In particular, l’m digging her new ‘Space Race’ inspired stuff that is currently part of a show she has on at The Harold Golen Gallery in Miami. The show is titled “Intergalactic World’s Fair” and the images are all inspired by exhibits from the 1960s World’s Fairs in New York and Seattle with an intergalactic twist. The show is shared with Michelle Bickford, her great friend and another inspired artist.

Below is a heap of images, because lets face it… the pictures talk for themselves… Great work

The Careless Navigator would like to thank El Gato Gomez for taking the time to contribute to this article.

Her paintings are available through www.elgatogomez.com or at times on Ebay.

Cheers CN

CN, September 29th, 2011