 |
||
| Born in Tijuana and
based in Los Angeles, Huerta is best known for his portraits of unidentified
subjects who sit or stand with their backs to the viewer. His work
was included in the 2000 Biennial of the Whitney Museum of American
Art and has been exhibited in the United States, Mexico, and Europe. This work is part of a series of male portraits whose faces are turned away from the viewer. Salomón Huerta also paints portraits of houses in his home city of Los Angeles, using a similar simple style that focuses on basic shape and color. The seated figure seen in this portrait represents a generic male figure. All we can observe is his clothing, muscular physique, and skin color. Huerta's portraits explore ideas of identity and the stereotypes people make according to physical characteristics. Huerta’s anonymous figure is intended to make the viewer consider what is not recognizable about a person just by looking at them, especially from behind.  (For Grades 3-5) Where is this figure sitting? What colors does the artist use in this painting? Do these colors create a certain mood in the painting? What can you learn about this person by looking at his back? What information is still unknown? Can you guess what his personality is like? Why or why not? Do you think that people can tell what you are like just by looking at your appearance? Why or why not? |
||
| |
||
  |
||
Salomón Huerta Mexico, born 1965 Untitled Figure Oil on canvas on panel, 2000 Museum purchase, Contemporary Collectors Fund 2001.9 1938:25 © Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego |
||
| Explore
Art page (kid-friendly) |
||
© 2005 CARE All rights reserved