Obrero (Worker)

Comment

Comment by Resident Curator on February 8, 2015 at 9:01am

Curators Comments:

 

Obrero has a timeless elegance in its sketchy black and white gesture.  But it also has a faintly nostalgic quality, reminding me of Kathe Kollwitz’s expressionistic and socially conscious drawings.  The rough grittiness of the texture in the shaded areas is wonderfully countered by the lighter open areas in the figure’s body and tools.  It could also be compared to the lithographs of (David) Alfaro Siqueiros, in its social- realist crusade for workers’ rights as seen through the eyes of the virtuous laborer.  I see a tribute to Latin culture is carried through into other pieces in your portfolio, as in the Aztec Goddess Coatlicue and various other indigenous Indian people.  Malinche Gives Advice shares social political overtones through the title referencing the legendary Malinche, but without the conflicting archetypal roles of mother/traitor.  The woman in this colored pencil drawing appears to have an intimate or familial connection to the slightly lighter skinned male.  The simplification of their bodies and her face, with the small landscape peeking through the space between them gives the image a decidedly contemporary edge.  It is this layered meaning and opacity that holds me to the work, and makes me want a longer look.