Victor Rodriguez

VÍCTOR RODRÍGUEZ (Mexico, 1970).
"Two dream", 1998.
Acrylic on canvas.
Presented on the back label Enrique Guerrero Gallery.
Measurements: 198 x 198 cm; 219 x 219 cm (frame).
This painting by the artist Víctor Rodríguez shows a sleeping person, with his face and hand visible on a pillow. His expression is serene, conveying a sense of deep rest. The person is wearing a red, white and blue headscarf, which could symbolize some cultural identity or simply a decorative element.
To the right of his head, there is a series of thought bubbles. One bubble in the upper left corner contains an image in shades of red of a friendly looking dog, next to a pastel with candles, possibly representing a birthday or celebration. This could indicate that the character is dreaming of memories or scenes from his personal or emotional life.
To the right of this bubble, a larger, abstract bubble appears with vertical stripes of various bright colors: black, pink, yellow, blue, orange, green, among others. The colorful stripes contrast with the softer, more realistic palette of the rest of the work, generating a division between the dream world (imagination, memories, fantasy) and reality.
The realistic style with meticulous detail, such as skin texture and vibrant colors, is typical of Rodriguez's work, which often explores themes of identity, pop culture and the boundaries between reality and fantasy.
Víctor Rodríguez is a leading Mexican visual artist and painter, primarily self-taught. Born in Mexico City in 1970, he moved to New York at the age of 26. He currently lives and works in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Dumbo.
Rodriguez arrived in New York in 1997, after sending more than a thousand letters with photographs of his work to various galleries. His persistence paid off when the late Ivan Karp, founder of Ok Harris Gallery and former director of Leo Castelli Gallery, responded to his work. Karp not only invited him to exhibit, but also acquired several of his pieces. This support allowed Victor Rodriguez to establish himself in the city, where he has established himself as a leader in the new generation of hyperrealist artists.