- Standard No.3
- from the series Requiem
Sheet: 23 5/8 × 23 9/16 in. (60 × 59.9 cm)
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Adrián Fernández presents blown-up details of a series of Cuban stamps silhouetting the farmer, the welder, and the seamstress behind the silhouettes of gun-toting fighters of the revolution. If the stamps, in 1962, were intended to honor those who made the new Cuba possible through their combat or their labor, the message reads more menacingly today; in each case, the laborer seems to work under the watchful eye of a militarized state authority. Lest viewers miss the point, Fernández has titled the series Requiem, and the individual titles— Standard no. 1, Standard no. 2, and so forth—are meant to indicate social standards.
Adrián Fernández presenta detalles ampliados de estampillas cubanas que destacan al campesino, al soldador y a la costurera, detrás de siluetas de com- batientes armados de la revolución. Si en 1962 estas estampillas honraban a quienes hicieron posible la nueva Cuba a través de su trabajo o combate, el mensaje hoy en día adquiere un matiz amenazador: cada trabajador parece laborar bajo la vigilancia de una autoridad militarizada. Por si la intención pasara desapercibida, Fernández ha titulado la serie Réquiem, y los títulos individuales —Estándar no. 1, Estándar no. 2, etc.— sugieren estándares sociales.
ProvenanceThe artist, Havana, Cuba; purchased by Madeleine P. Plonsker, Glencoe, Illinois, 2016; purchased by MFAH, 2022.
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