Ricardo Gonzalez paints moody characters, objects, and scenes that draw influence in film noir and German expressionism, among other things. We talk about his early years, inspirations in music and movies, painting over the parts you like best, the psychodrama of dealing with yourself in the studio, the uses of text and the lessons of graphic design, plus shared anecdotes and inspirations from Guston, Picasso, De Chirico, Twombly, Schnabel, Milton and March Avery and Susan Rothenberg.