Catalog Excerpt

In terms of medium and style, the works chosen for this retrospective best represent the varied directions De La Cruz has taken in his desire to create his art. And in terms of context, they were chosen to highlight passages in his life and works that were significant stepping stones or at least waypoints. Rather than compartmentalizing his work into like styles and processes, a less academic approach is taken with the works displayed in a time-line as they occurred. As the artist noted, “the goal is to give the viewer a sense of what it might be like to be the artist in the studio, to work on an abstract in the morning, a portrait at noon and a surreal piece in the evening.”

Photography has played a vital role in De La Cruz’s artistic output from the beginning. Some photography is represented in this exhibition in a few works that utilize it as part of the process. The reams of contact sheets, negatives and digital files that he has amassed over the years would themselves provide an equally sized exhibition. Space would not allow for the inclusion of his photographic work, but a digital slide show of selected photographs is included. This slide show is also included in the digital version of the catalog.