674
John Sonsini (American, b. 1950)
Fernando, 2006-2007
Signed and dated “John Sonsini/June 13,
2006” and also signed by the sitter “Fernan
Chavez” in pencil on the reverse, identified on
a label from ACME, Los Angeles, affixed to the
reverse.
Oil on canvas, 20 x 16 in. (50.8 x 40.6 cm),
framed.
Condition: Good.
Provenance: A private Massachusetts
collection.
N.B. Sonsini is best known for his work
depicting Latino day laborers in his
neighborhood, the Pico-Union district in Los
Angeles. In the present work, the portrait’s
frontal and tightly cropped frame evokes
a reference to an ID portrait, raising the
politically charged issue of immigration and
legal documentation. Through his tactile and
visceral brushwork, however, Sonsini diffuses
the overt politics of this series, focusing on the
humanity of his sitters. According to Sonsini,
“The information on cards in wallets is of little
help to me. For me painting the portrait is
about recreating the sensation of presence,
the experience of having the sitter in my
studio.”^1- Kim Beil, “John Sonsini,” Profile, Art Ltd., August 2007.
$10,000-15,000
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