Untitled (Emiliano Zapata)

Inspired his youth in Mexico, Alfredo Arreguín often depicts key Mexican historical figures, in this case, Emiliano Zapata, a leader of the Mexican Revolution, who is recognizable by his moustache and crossed ammunition belts. The artist always imbeds his figures in intricately patterned surfaces that lend the work an abstract quality. In part, these “lace-like screens,” as he describes them, come from his visits to lush Mexican forests; he affirms that in his work, the “magic of the jungle has had a strong influence." The rhythm and style of the all-over pattern also suggest traditional Asian art, which he saw when he was a US Army draftee stationed in Korea. While this matrix of forms and colors invites close observation, it also makes viewers step back to visually reconstruct the figure that it partially hides.