In December, Gerardo Rosales found himself surrounded by butterflies as he painted the...
A detail from the Gerardo Rosales sculpture “Tree of Life”, nestled in the middle of the Houston Botanic Gardens Thursday, June 30, 2022 in Houston, TX.In December, Gerardo Rosales found himself surrounded by butterflies as he painted the limbs of his sculpture “Tree of Life.
Rosales’ walks have yielded quite a bit of vibrant art, particularly over the past two years. When Lawndale reopened in early 2021, he was the space’s artist in residence. Some of the works he did at that time featured eyes peeking out from the greenery, inspired by a coyote sighting in Memorial Park.
“There’s a synchronicity in her story between the native community in Venezuela, African communities and Catholicism,” Rosales says. “So I wanted her to be part of this story.” Some of his sculptural work prior to “Tree of Life” was more conceptual and sociopolitical, like a series of rubber work boots painted and inverted on posts. “I feel like I have these connections in cities around the world,” he says. “But Houston is special because you have the world here in one place. It’s such an international city.”