By José Lozano

Medium: Screenprint
Year: 1991
Edition of 57
Image Size: 26 x 34 inches

In Hero, José Lozano presents a large masked face surrounded by a dense field of smaller faces and brightly colored, serpentine forms. The central figure suggests the visual language of Mexican lucha libre, but Lozano complicates the heroic image by filling nearly every surface with additional human faces.

The brilliant blues, pinks, yellows, and greens give the work an immediate graphic energy, while the repeated faces reward closer viewing. Lozano frequently drew upon Mexican popular culture, memory, humor, and the everyday characters of Los Angeles and the border region. Here, the masked protagonist becomes part portrait, part cultural icon, and part gathering place for an entire crowd.