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William Villalongo seeks to address political concepts in his works, highlighting the
importance of reassessing Western, American, and African Art Histories, in an
attempt to navigate historical erasure through the use of “blackness” as a verb.
His figures, like the one featured here, are described as “somewhere between
magic and the factualness of being in a body.” This understanding of his works as
both, illustrates the disconnect we feel during moments of deep self-introspection,
paired with a claustrophobic sense of being shackled to one’s physical form.Label Type
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William Villalongo (b. 1975)
Color Conversion 2, 2013
hand pulled screen print, Speedball permanent acrylic inks with collage, direct hand painting and drawing
30 x 22 in.
Gift of, 2019.3.1
Seemingly mesmerized and looking upward, a printed, black figure gazes into a colorful vortex depicting an alternate dimension. The figure’s eye and brain are exposed, mirroring the hand-painted color field of the vortex. Villalongo’s figures, like the one featured here, are described as “somewhere between magic and the factualness of being in a body.” Aiming to express the absurdity, beauty and vulnerability of Black presence against the backdrop of race, his works often become portals or navigational devices for thinking about the mystery within human experience through the poetics of history, myth and satire.
This work of art is a part of the HCC Permanent Art Collection. The HCC Art Galleries, through their Campus Loan Outreach Program, seek to share original art by collecting a diversity of works for the education and enjoyment of the HCC Community.