“[De La Cruz] mixes media with ferocious zeal and holds it all together
with a stake of dark humor.”
Susan Froyd, Westword Magazine (Denver, CO)
April 14, 2007
"This drawn line is a good place to start in appreciating the
virtuoso skills of Denver surrealist Jerry De La Cruz . . . [He]
has developed a line steeped in classicism reminiscent of the
work of Leonardo da Vinci. This pure, agile line turns up
repeatedly in De La Cruz’ paintings."
Betsy Howard,
Denver Magazine
December, 1987
"[De La Cruz's] work is an excellent example of the thought
process that is often missing in the digital works based on
styles of the past. The message of this piece is patently
clear, and the artist's use of an easily identified, historical
subject has a purpose which goes beyond aesthetics."
Julia Ptasznik,
Visual Arts Trends Quarterly (NY, NY)
June, 2001
"This precocious blend of real and imagined images suggests some
of the early work of Dali. The illusion is so real that it is
quite believable. . . He does not, whatever his medium or style,
fill up either page or canvas with non-essentials. . . De La
Cruz, who is from Denver, has much to offer."
Shirley Gonzales,
New Haven Register
(New Haven, CT)
May 1, 1983
"The painting teases the viewer's mind without serving up
explanations . . . It's unsettling . . . De La Cruz
has a weAlternateTexth of technical expertise at his disposal, and his
work is almost invariably intriguing . . . De La Cruz can
be very good."
Lyman Pitman,
The Pueblo Chieftain,
Pueblo CO
May 20, 1990
"De La Cruz . . . is constantly changing his work, defying
the pigeonholers . . . He doesn't usually use the
traditional Hispanic elements that others use . . . His
canvases sometimes show keen humor."
David McQuay, The Denver Post
May 2, 1989
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"De La Cruz's mastery of formal and experimental techniques
reflects a career dedicated to creative probing and discipline.
It is rare indeed to come into contact with an artist who so
successfully ranges from abstraction to surrealism in single
canvases. Themes of personal identity and interpersonal
responsiveness are layered into his work, allowing the viewer to
share in the artist's process of questioning the relationships
of his subjects to the world. The insights that develop in
his works are universal in their ability to connect the
reflective with the informative."
Joaquín
Alvarado,
Contemp. Chicana & Chicano Art
Bilingual Press, Tempe, AZ, 2002
“De La Cruz has been at the forefront here
of viewing technology as a resource . . . Varied,
innovative and with an eye toward provocation . . ."
Mary Chandler,
Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)
August 31, 2007
"The pieces in the [De La Cruz] show . . . are
humorous and brilliant in their ability to convey messages . . .
It is wrong to categorize [De La Cruz] as monolithically
Hispanic in his art. For he is universal, and the language of
his art can be understood in any tongue."
Raymond Dean
Jones, The Urban Spectrum (Denver, CO)
May, 2001
"De La Cruz' shifting connections are intelligent and lyrical .
. . Some of his paintings and photos are so delicate that
they're painful; some reflect a bold muralist's melodrama . . .
[T]hey require and deserve deep, unconditional scrutiny into the
relationship of illusion and reality."
Jennifer
Heath, Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)
September 25, 1987
"His oil paintings, acrylic paintings and mixed media collages
are vivid and impressive. . . . Some of the images in his
paintings can be described as unusual. . . Other images are
simply beautiful."
Jodi Wetuski,
Pueblo Chieftain,
Pueblo, CO
July 6, 1995
"Working in oil, De La Cruz' sparkling coloration rings true and
his deft brushwork builds an articulate line quality that
fleshes out his characters into fully realized individuals,
their symbolic quality still intact."
Nancy Clegg,
Westword Magazine, Denver, CO
May 16, 1984 |