Francisco Reina

My artwork takes a critical view of social, political and cultural issues, often referencing what surrounds me or draws my attention.
I make images that present views of contemporary life exclusive to the present moment; the result of modern, social and global concerns. My interest here focuses on the average human being’s experience and interaction with power in everyday life. I strive to create a visual manifestation of an internal resistance against these restraints, and the resulting work forms a muted acknowledgement of its existence.
The image is the centre of my work. It is not, however, an icon. It is rather a depiction that is constantly filtered through my own experience and personal view of the world, and repeatedly called into question as a material and emotional entity, as both presence and memory.
My projects reflect a concern with the progressive construction of social reality by the media, discernible not only in the increasing importance of the image, but also in the gradual incorporation of the “simulated world” into different realms of daily life, such as politics and culture. The critical realism of my work is generated from these reflections and I achieve it by transforming them into metaphors.