Artist
Alejandro Cartagena(Mexican, born Dominican Republic, 1977)Mexican, born Dominican Republic, 1977
CultureMexican
Titles
- We are #17
- from the series We are things
Date2019
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsImage: 7 7/8 × 5 11/16 in. (20 × 14.5 cm)
Sheet (support/mount at open): 19 1/2 × 15 9/16 in. (49.5 × 39.5 cm)
Sheet (support/mount at open): 19 1/2 × 15 9/16 in. (49.5 × 39.5 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Photography Subcommittee 2020
Object number2020.162
Not on view
Explore Further
Department
PhotographySpecial Collections
Object Type
Working with his growing collection of found images, Alejandro Cartagena identifies narratives that appear again and again in the photographs—dancing couples, preening debutantes, or mysterious gazes. With a sharp blade, he excises the context and details, leaving only the repetitive pose, person, or expression. He organizes the altered photographs to emphasize the repetition of forms. These collages appear both familiar and strange. Cartagena compels viewers to consider the commonalities found across the record of individual life events.
ProvenanceThe artist; [Patricia Conde Galería, Mexico City]; purchased by MFAH, 2020.
Exhibition HistorySalón ACME, Mexico City, 2020.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Signed in black, frame verso, lower right: Alejandro Cartagena // 2020 // [authentication sticker]
Signed in black, frame verso, lower right: Alejandro Cartagena
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
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