Housepainter I

Housepainter I is a hyper-realistic installation featuring a distracted-looking African-American house painter taking a break from his job. The work's many contextual features, from the protective canvas to utensils and streaks of paint on the wall, give it an uncanny look of authenticity. The figure's hieratic pose recalls ancient Greek statuary, ennobling his humble trade. 

This life-size work by American sculptor Duane Hanson is an example of the mimetic sculptures he has continuously improved during his artistic career. With a rare concern for verisimilitude, he aims to reproduce scenes from everyday American working-class life using fibreglass statues and resins made from life model casts. All of them highlight social issues: racism, ostracism, poverty and dependence.

Housepainter I is being presented for the first time in the Pinault Collection as part of the “Untitled, 2020” show at the Punta della Dogana in Venice in 2020.