Name/Title
Dr. JekyllEntry/Object ID
2020.04Description
Green and pink neon painting of a bearded man's face.Context
The infamous characters, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, from Robert Louis Stevenson’s late 19th-century novella, personify the eternal battle between good and evil and the dual personalities that can occur within a single person. However, for Mario Ybarra Jr., the sociocultural duality of being Mexican American in the United States is the driving force behind two self-portrait paintings: Dr. Jekyll, on view here, and Mr. Hyde, which is in the collection of Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). These paintings were part of the exhibition Universal Monsters, based on the 1920s to 1960s horror and sci-fi characters portrayed in Universal Studios films, which included revivals of both Jekyll and Hyde and Stan Lee’s The Hulk. Here, Dr. Jekyll, with his garish Day-Glo colors and mischievous smile is simultaneously superhero and villain. For Ybarra, this is a psychological exploration into stories of transformation and creating a persona.Acquisition
Accession
2020.04Source or Donor
Scott J. HunterAcquisition Method
GiftCredit Line
Gift of Scott J. HunterLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Primary Object Term
PaintingNomenclature Class
ArtNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsGetty AAT
Concept
identity, metaphysical concepts, philosophical conceptsHierarchy Name
Associated Concepts (hierarchy name)Facet
Associated Concepts Facet