| The new series of paintings Moncho created for Masks embodies a spirit of recontextualization, expanding ideas and building on elements present in his previous paintings, murals, and other forms of street art, compositions he has described as “opposing visual images that can create a new conversation.”
Masks take on different meanings relative to geography, context, and culture. Moncho doesn’t directly reference specific masks or their functions; instead, he encourages viewers to confront their own judgments as they attempt to classify the subjects in his paintings.
“I purposely try not to be overtly political in the work that I do. There’s always references, but I’d rather insinuate, be subtle, so that when the person is looking at the work, they’re having that discovery, they’re having that conversation. At the end of the day, the work needs to connect with the viewer.”
– Moncho
Moncho’s paintings are not only personal, but also provocative. Previously the human subjects would often have no face at all, but his new works feature rendered facial coverings that conceal or transform identity. |
