#11. From La Piedra Sustituta II Series, 2020

José Sierra  

#11, 2020 by Jose Sierra From "La Piedra Sustituta II" Series Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle paper 

Image size: 40 in. H x 26.6 in. W Edition of 10 + 1AP. Unframed 

More Editions & Sizes Small: 24 in. H x 16 in. W. Edition of 10 + 1AP. 

This provocative artwork juxtaposes vulnerability and danger against a stark red background. At its center, a nude figure is shrouded with red and white striped plastic, obscuring identity while emphasizing themes of confinement and anonymity. The singular, unyielding gaze through the material provides an unsettling focus, drawing attention to the tension between concealment and exposure. Below, a gun lies ominously, its dark presence intensified by the vibrant red, suggesting themes of violence and power. The contrasting elements—soft human form, rigid firearm, and the vivid backdrop—create a dynamic yet disquieting narrative. The work challenges viewers to examine the interplay of protection and threat, engaging them in a dialogue about the nature of safety and the dangers lurking beneath appearances.

"La Piedra Sustituta" Series. Showing a body that is hidden is the aesthetic apology for the insane judgment that the artist himself has taken as an excuse for not being "pointed at" or rather as self-pointing. The stone is taken by the body that is unprotected as a metaphor for the weakness that seeks protection, and the body is taken by the stone as a consequence of an insecure state, how can a stone take a body? If this is the one that "institutionally" does it.