William Villalongo
The Thirsty Laborer (If You Build It), 2012
Acrylic, velvet flocking and paper on wood panel
96 x 137 5/16 x 2 in.
Museum Purchase, The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (2017.16)
Villalongo has stated that the women in his paintings, “do things, mostly, building the world in which they exist.” This is most evident in The Thirsty Laborer (If You Build...
Villalongo has stated that the women in his paintings, “do things, mostly, building the world in which they exist.” This is most evident in The Thirsty Laborer (If You Build It) portraying a community of women building a home from Western artworks. Villalongo here refers to African traditions where art objects were more often created to serve a practical purpose whether social, religious or political.
