John Sonsini lives and works in Los Angeles. He has shown his work in numerous group exhibitions in Los Angeles, and New York since 1980. In 2000, 2002 and 2003 he had solo exhibitions at ACME in Los Angeles. His paintings are in the collection of MCASD; the Nora Eccles Museum, Logan, Utah; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

John Sonsini's double portrait of two young Hispanic day laborers is on the surface a seemingly straight-forward representation. Yet, Sonsini's portrait reveals a wonderfully complex response to the act of viewing. Both men in this portrait are Hispanic day laborers and are often exposed to certain stereotypes. Sonsini is interested in defying those stereotypes and does so by identifying his sitters in the title of the work and signatures on the back of the canvas. The strength of this portrait comes not only from Sonsini’s expert paint handling, but also in the powerful way in which the sitters gaze at the viewer. They appear to be confronting the viewer directly as they look out of the painting. Sonsini's work is part of a renewed interest in figurative painting among contemporary artists, demonstrating his interest in exploring portraiture and painting technique.


(For Grades 3-5)

Who is this a portrait of? How do you know?

What colors does the artist use in this painting? Do those colors create a mood, or convey the mood of the figures in the painting?

Do you think that these figures are comfortable being painted?

Where are these figures sitting?


(For Grades 6-8)

How does the artist defy stereotypes of Hispanic day workers through his artwork?

Describe the artist’s use of balance and contrast.

How does the artist’s use of color convey mood and feeling?