Eugene Rodriguez
The first series, Picturing History: Lights, Darks, Cameras, and Action, reinterprets the history of oil painting, television, cinema, and U.S. Empire building through memories inspired by my family photo album during the era of the Cold War. The second series, After a Somewhat Prolonged Lapse of Memory (a brief history of the future), revisits well-known U.S. history paintings to critique their portrayal of celebrated events. These paintings have become embedded in our visual collective memory. They give color, form, and feeling to the past and contribute to the creation of our national mythology.
With this work I am attempting to create a visual bridge between the past and present by illuminating silenced and erased stories and setting them alongside global current events. Moreover, it is my way of participating in the expansion of the ever-unfolding grand, historical drama.
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