John Sonsini Rome, New York, b. 1942
David, Jose, Santiago, Lorenzo and Pedro, 2006
Oil on canvas
208.3 x 304.8 cm
82 x 120 in
82 x 120 in
© 2006 John Sonsini / Courtesy Fundación AMMA
Photo: Alejandro Paez
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A large-format group portrait of five men dressed in casual clothing. Four of them are standing, facing the viewer, while the fifth remains seated, shown in a three-quarter view. The artistic conventions, including the treatment of the background, draw from classical portraiture.
Sonsini is known for his expressionist portraits of Hispanic day laborers. Sonsini finds them at work sites in Los Angeles and pays them by the hour to pose in his studio. He often places the models against an undefined pastel-colored background, creating an interesting contrast between their masculinity and their subtle vulnerability. The artist has also created works based on male homosexual eroticism.
Sonsini is known for his expressionist portraits of Hispanic day laborers. Sonsini finds them at work sites in Los Angeles and pays them by the hour to pose in his studio. He often places the models against an undefined pastel-colored background, creating an interesting contrast between their masculinity and their subtle vulnerability. The artist has also created works based on male homosexual eroticism.