Luis De Jesus Los Angeles gallery is delighted to announce the acquisition of two photographs from Ken Gonzales-Day’s Memento Mori series by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. We extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. James Glisson, Chief Curator and Curator of Contemporary Art.
Aaron, 2006The Memento Mori series (2001-2006) uses contemporary portraiture to create a visual language for the forgotten history of racialized violence and lynching in California. The series was one of three photographic projects to grow out of the artist’s research into the history of lynching for his first monograph, Lynching in the West: 1850-1935 (Duke University Press, 2006).
While traditional American history often mischaracterizes frontier hangings as race-neutral vigilante justice, his research proved that Latine, Asian, and Native American individuals were heavily targeted. Because historical photographs of the victims are rare or deeply dehumanizing, Gonzales-Day photographed contemporary young men from his own community. These models act as stand-ins for the historical victims, who were frequently young men between the ages of 16 and 22.
Learn more about the Memento Mori series.
Previous acquisitions include:
Untitled (Anitco, Bust of Man, Francis Harwood, Bust of Man, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles), 2010
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Santa Barbara, CA
To learn more visit: Santa Barbara Museum of Art