GUERO SERIES

..Guero is a sixty-four print series examining our natural degeneration as a shared human experience. The body of work was prompted by my father’s declining health. He is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Guero is also the term used by his friends and family to address him. The nickname cites my father’s light complexion, an anomaly in the Mexican-American culture.

Referencing specific moments in his life as visual elements allowed me to code personal information while simultaneously revealing a larger humanity. The contour lines are derived from maps of significant locations in his life experiences. The deteriorating grid is Western medicine’s failing attempt to control an organic based decline. The large head format sans torso forces the viewer to interact with a large head form straining to escape the picture plane. The fact I drew all of the imagery is the footing for a personal story. The formats for the portraits were based on both abstract and realistic head studies.

The abstract drawing style is my depiction of our relationship borne of my hand. The realistic rendering is a metaphor for the unilateral relationship between us. It is a conservative Mexican-American bond. Combining all of the elements allowed me to fully explore my feelings in a thorough, honest, and the complex variations of the imagery are an allegory for a shifting range of emotions. The work documents my feelings about my father’s condition with clear depictions of psychological energy while allowing uncertainty on what specific emotions are depicted. The affect between the viewer and the subject underscore a shifting emotional portrait.