After Da Vinci and Virgil

Ronald Ventura explores notions of identity, colonialism, and contemporaneity by layering images and mixing elements of graffiti, animation, and hyperrealism in his works. In After da Vinci and Virgil, Ventura obscures the well-known image of the Mona Lisa, one of the most famous paintings in the world, with the yellow markings of a zebra crossing to depict the bridging of the past and present, of high art and low art, of tradition and contemporaneity. Just as yellow zebra crossings on roads require motorists to abide by traffic rules, Ventura’s marks acknowledge the deep influence of Western painting on his artistic practice even as he seeks to break out of traditional conventions and blur the boundaries between art and life through his eclectic mix of symbols and styles.