José Lerma Spain, b. 1971

This portrait by Jose Lerma is designed to put viewers into a youthful state of mind. Lerma uses large, bold marks and simplified fields of solid color to convey as simple an image as possible in a way that seems almost like a doodle or a cartoon. The layers are built from common construction materials, such as plastic sheets and silicone caulk that has been colored with pigment. These everyday materials add to the sense that these paintings are not meant to be seen as highfalutin or overly sophisticated. Lerma is using scale in a way that is intended to make an adult viewer feel small, to disarm them in a way so that they can simply enjoy the picture in front of them. Lerma’s subjects are not always named, as in this case, but they are often figures from history who wielded power in fields like banking and politics. Throughout history, portraiture has been used to convey the power and authority of such individuals. Lerma’s portraits are indeed powerful, yet they also poke fun at the absurdity of the tradition to which they belong. Lerma has described his paintings as being “full of contradictions. They are detailed and direct, idiotic and philosophical, historical and topical. They are disarming and distracting like a skilled confidence man.”