We first met West Hollywood artist Ramiro Gomez when he began placing his hand-painted cardboard figures of immigrant laborers in prominent public spaces in Bel Air, Beverly Hills and Hollywood.
Even as his audience has expanded via out-of-town art exhibits and a documentary film, he still plants cutout cardboard workers in places where their real-life counterparts have been before. Gomez’ aim? To make workers who are normally INVISIBLE become visible to passersby who look away or look but never see.
This gardener with a hose popped up Wednesday just before sunset in Beverly Hills near that famous hotel. Like all Gomez’ creations, he has a name. Meet Sergio.
Gomez’ smartphone video shows how pedestrians (tourists?) reacted when they saw the jardinero:
PREVIOUSLY ON RAMIRO GOMEZ:
- Ramiro Gomez: ‘Silvia waiting for her check’ (toon)
- The astounding ‘installation art’ of Ramiro Gomez, Jr.
- Behind the scenes at the L.A. County Museum of Art (photos)
- Flowers that bloom in Bel-Air, tra la, need immigrant gardeners (fotos)
- Cinco de Mayo installation art in Beverly Hills (video and photos)