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Technique or ProcessLabel
Born in Puerto Rico, Edgar Sánchez Cumbas uses the language of contemporary abstraction to explore concepts of identity, color, multiculturalism, and sociopolitical issues. Sanchez does this in part by focusing his palette to the “primary” colors black, brown, yellow, tan, and white, to which he adds “secondary” colors such as red, green, and blue. He then applies the paint with thick layers of impasto, creating a sensuous yet bold tactility and materiality. In doing so, his work sets up a dialogue surrounding assumptions viewers may have about physical color and form in their daily lives, especially as these visual characteristics affect social hierarchies and classifications determined by skin tone. Considered in light of recent global debates surrounding immigration/nationalism as well as racial tensions in the U.S., the formal tension in Gorilla hints at a sense of unease regarding references in popular culture and the use of racial slang—both of which continue to influence the way we see color in contemporary society.