Image Credits: Rob Gonsalves
When you see the paintings of painters, you normally notice their composition, color combination and what the painting really portrays. If these elements appeal to your senses, you spend some time appreciating the painting, if not you move on. This is very much common for all paintings, whether it’s done by your local artist or that by any great master.
However, the works of Robert Gonsalves, a Canadian artist lovingly referred to as Rob Gonsalves, compels you to keep looking at them totally spellbound. And it’s not only some of his works that gets you glued, but all of them also have that magical quality.
The magic lies in the power of imagination that enabled Robert to create astounding optical illusions in each and every painting. Of course, merging one scene into another requires some high order of visualization. What’s more, each work not only tells a story but is as diverse and unique from each other as chalk and cheese.
This God gift revealed itself to Robert at a very young age. Born in Toronto, Canada, he was able to create complex paintings that baffled the viewers. By the age of 12, he had already mastered his technique. Although he took up the job of an architect after graduating from college, it was the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition in 1990 that became the turning point in his career. The enthusiastic response that his trompe-l’oeil murals and theatre sets received, motivated him to devote full-time to painting.
Robert’s unique perspective and style were majorly influenced by the works of Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte. From the latter, he imbibed ‘magic realism’ that correctly describes his form of compositions, a bit different from surrealism.
However, the world was not destined to see the future works of this great artist, since Robert chose an early exit from this world. He committed suicide on June 14, 2017.
Rob Gonsalves
