Political Prisoner

Rupert García, Political Prisoner, 1976, pastel on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Rupert García and Sammi Madison-García, 1978.107, © 1976, Rupert García
Rupert García, Political Prisoner, 1976, pastel on paper, sheet: 4836 in. (122.091.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Rupert García and Sammi Madison-García, 1978.107, © 1976, Rupert García

Artwork Details

Title
Political Prisoner
Date
1976
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet: 4836 in. (122.091.5 cm)
Copyright
© 1976, Rupert García
Credit Line
Gift of Rupert García and Sammi Madison-García
Mediums
Mediums Description
pastel on paper
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure female — head
Object Number
1978.107

Artwork Description

In 1975, García, who was a Vietnam veteran, was drawn to a Newsweek cover story about the arrival of Vietnamese refugees in the United States. To create this pastel, García focused on one figure in the picture: a young woman who wails with closed eyes. He isolated and enlarged her face, placed a gag over her mouth, and situated her in a sea of radiating blue. Garcia’s compelling image invites viewers to confront the injustices of our day.

Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art, 2013

Description in Spanish

En 1975, García, que era veterano de Vietnam, se interesó en una noticia ilustrada en la portada de Newsweek sobre la llegada de refugiados vietnamitas a los Estados Unidos. Para crear esta pintura al pastel, García se concentró en una de las figuras de la fotografía: una joven que grita con los ojos cerrados. El aisló y amplió su cara, le puso una mordaza sobre la boca, y la situó en un mar de azul radiante. La impactante imagen de García invita a los espectadores a confrontar las injusticias de nuestro tiempo.

Nuestra América: la presencia latina en el arte estadounidense, 2013

Works by this artist (162 items)

Mingering Mike, MERCY: "DIG IT" / WELL SHE LOVE'S ME, MINGERING MIKE & HIS FRACTURED SOUL BAND, ca. 1972 - 1975, ink and marker on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mike Wilkins and Sheila Duignan and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2013.8.85.2, © Mingering Mike
MERCY: DIG IT” / WELL SHE LOVE’S ME, MINGERING MIKE & HIS…
Dateca. 1972 - 1975
ink and marker on paper
Not on view
Mingering Mike, Gold Pot Records: MINGERING MIKE: SWEET WOMAN OF MINE, ca. 1972, ink, marker, crayon, and paint on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mike Wilkins and Sheila Duignan and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2013.8.110, © Mingering Mike
Gold Pot Records: MINGERING MIKE: SWEET WOMAN OF MINE
Dateca. 1972
ink, marker, crayon, and paint on paperboard
Not on view

Exhibitions

Media - 2011.12 - SAAM-2011.12_1 - 77591
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art
October 25, 2013March 2, 2014
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-twentieth century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge.

More Artworks from the Collection

Claire Falkenstein, City is Man, 1941-1952, linocut, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.14, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
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Date1941-1952
linocut
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Claire Falkenstein, Untitled, 1976, embossed paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.18, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Untitled
Date1976
embossed paper
Not on view
Claire Falkenstein, Mandala, 1977, lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.19, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Mandala
Date1977
lithograph
Not on view
Nathan Oliveira, Site with Blue and White, 1978, monotype, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Moses Lasky, 2004.32.14
Site with Blue and White
Date1978
monotype
Not on view