Sergio Hernández - Latin America New York Tuesday, November 22, 2016 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City
    Acquired from the above by the present owner

  • Catalogue Essay

    At the core of Sergio Hernández’s artistic practice is an exploration of his native Oaxaca. Born in 1957, Hernández studied at both the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas and the Academia de San Carlos, producing a large body of work that ranges across diverse media. His oeuvre includes printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, painting and drawing. Considered a proponent of Mexican Vanguardism, Hernández draws inspiration from the natural light and earth tones of Oaxaca as well as the Pre-Colombian Mixteca culture. In San Miguel Arcángel, the artist references the Western art historical canon, all while incorporating Mexican imagery and motifs. Rendered in soft blue and green hues, the present lot is a dynamic large -scale composition that highlights the artist’s preoccupation with gestural figuration. In the foreground the viewer is confronted with a series of monumental figures. It can be insinuated that the figure of San Miguel is depicted riding atop the large horse, as he is traditionally rendered. Throughout the composition the artist has included several images of skeletons and roosters, both of which are typically associated with Mexican folklore and popular culture. San Migel Arcángel is a masterful example of Hernández’s interest in religious syncretism. By manipulating Catholic iconography and incorporating Mexican popular imagery, Hernández has created a very personal interpretation of the biblical story of San Miguel. In the present lot, Hernández references works by Modern Oaxacan artists, namely Rufino Tamayo and Francisco Toledo, both of whom championed indigenous Mexican imagery and themes. Hernández’s work has been exhibited widely, including a retrospective at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Internacional Rufino Tamayo in Mexico City in 2000.

40

San Miguel Arcángel

signed, titled and dated "San Miguel Arcangel - 1995 - Hernández" on the reverse
oil and sand on canvas
54 3/4 x 98 1/4 in. (139.1 x 249.6 cm)
Painted in 1995, this work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Galería de Arte Mexicano.

Estimate
$60,000 - 80,000 

Contact Specialist
Kaeli Deane
Head of Sale, Latin American Art
New York
+1 212 940 1352

Latin America

New York Auction 22 November 2016