In Dualities of the Mind and Gut, internationally recognized artist and longtime CCA professor Arthur Gonzalez shares insights into the influences and aesthetic footholds that have shaped his artistic journey. Using his own work and experience as a point of departure, he explores how artists are formed through a layered collection of influences: the artworks that move us, our lived experiences, and the personal observations and opinions that emerge from them. These elements come together to spark and germinate into what we call “ideas,” challenging us to transform them into new forms that become distinctly our own.

He will illustrate examples from his personal “pie chart” of visual and conceptual influences, drawing from artworks and artists that have shaped not only what he sees, but how he thinks. Through a deep exploration of these influences, he reveals how observation, experience, and interpretation become part of the creative process. The resulting works are layered with these lessons, reflecting personal growth and the evolution of his own distinct aesthetic trajectory.

Arthur Gonzalez is an internationally exhibiting artist who has presented more than fifty solo exhibitions over the past forty years. In May 2027, he will complete his thirty-fifth year as a professor at California College of the Arts.

Kari Marboe was an accomplished artist, known for the care and individualized attention that characterized her teaching. She fostered the exploration of rigorous and innovative research and the power of working between programs. This lectureship supports her approach, providing funds to continue these conversations and carry on Marboe’s commitment to expanding horizons and transforming ideas into practice. Her legacy will be celebrated in perpetuity, to inspire artistic futures founded on strength, laughter, and creative inquiry – values that embody the CCA mission.