ANATOMY OF LA MENTIRA. Red Noses. (Lies), Victor Cartagena

In 1985, at the age of 19, Victor Cartagena left his native El Salvador for San Francisco, fleeing the bloody civil war that had erupted in 1980. Cartagena’s early work from the 1990s drew on the pain, suffering, and separation from his family, but he soon shifted his attention to local social issues such as the plight of refugees and immigrants, as well as issues of homelessness and gang violence in the Bay Area. Working in a variety of mediums, Cartagena’s artwork often utilizes appropriated images and concepts to deliver a socially charged message. In this work, titled “anatomy of a lie,” a colorless, bald head is painted with a bold red triangle covering its nose, using the popular image of Pinocchio to comment on the hypocrisy of lies that plagues society.