Ramiro Gomez Seeks to "Make the Invisible Visible"

Walk into the Charlie James Gallery in Chinatown and you'll see a large painting of the Paul Smith store on Melrose Avenue. The vivid pink box of a building fills the canvas, except that out front there's an unexpected sight: a leaf blower. His face is not distinct but the figure appears to be a Latino gardener, one of thousands, who dot the landscapes of Los Angeles. The painting is by the 29-year-old artist Ramiro Gomez, whose work strives to bring to the foreground the laborers who make possible the comfortable, manicured lives of more affluent Angelenos.