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| John Sonsini was born in the United States. | ||
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PDF (1.2mb)  Who is the artist? John Sonsini What is the name of the artwork? Gabriel and Ramon What materials were used? Oil on canvas Where is the artist from? United States When was the artwork made? 2003  John Sonsini was born in 1950 and lives in Los Angeles, California. Sonsini paints real people that he sees on the streets. Sometimes the portraits are of just people’s faces; other times, they are of the whole body. Most of the people he paints are those who are looking for work in Los Angeles. The day laborers often do jobs that other people do not like to do, like mow the lawn or clean houses. Most of the time, other people do not notice the work that these day laborers do. Sonsini feels that the work of the day laborer should be noticed and likes to paint these people to show their importance.  In Gabriel and Ramon, John Sonsini painted two day laborers he hired for a week to pose for him. By giving these men jobs as models for his painting Sonsini is helping them, and they are also helping him by posing. It is a very nice partnership that Sonsini creates with these men. He named the artwork after the two men, and also had them sign the back, to give them some credit for the painting. This act shows that he feels that these men are important. Sonsini also chose to paint particular expressions on the faces of the men in the portrait. The day laborers look like they are staring at us, which shows a sense of power. Sonsini uses these expressions as a way to go against the stereotypes of day laborers being unimportant in society. What does the background of the portrait tell you about the people in it? Where do you think the portrait was painted? What can you tell from the expressions on the men’s faces? What emotion is the artist trying to show in their faces? In what ways does Sonsini show that these men are important?  Portrait - A picture of a person, usually showing the face. |
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John Sonsini United States, born 1950 Gabriel and Ramon Oil on canvas, 2003 Museum purchase, International and Contemporary Collectors Funds and funds from an anonymous donor 2004.8 © Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego  |
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1950 John Sonsini is born in the United States 1962 Cesar Chavez founds the National Farm Workers Association to help protect the rights of migrant workers 1975 First skateboard invented 1982
2003 John Sonsini paints Gabriel and Ramon 2005 John Sonsini has his first exhibition in New York City |
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