Meeting Lena
2006
resin figures
6"x6"x4"
From the Exhibition Catalogue:
Walterio Iraheta’s series Kryponita appropriates the traditional associations many people have of the American icon Superman. Iraheta’s small resin sculpture, "Meeting Lena" seems to portray Superman as the embodiment of the perfect hero, possessing impeccable features, superior strength, and great sexual desirability. Iraheta highlights the way our gaze has shifted from integrity and courage to the more superficial qualities of lust, envy, and power. In his photograph, "Supergirl in Atitlán", Iraheta pushes the point even further by juxtaposing superpower iconography with the disenfranchisement and impoverishment of the poor in Central America. The question is again raised regarding the characteristics of heroes: who they are and where they come from, as well as how they use their power, whether for better or for worse.
Walterio Iraheta’s series Kryponita appropriates the traditional associations many people have of the American icon Superman. Iraheta’s small resin sculpture, "Meeting Lena" seems to portray Superman as the embodiment of the perfect hero, possessing impeccable features, superior strength, and great sexual desirability. Iraheta highlights the way our gaze has shifted from integrity and courage to the more superficial qualities of lust, envy, and power. In his photograph, "Supergirl in Atitlán", Iraheta pushes the point even further by juxtaposing superpower iconography with the disenfranchisement and impoverishment of the poor in Central America. The question is again raised regarding the characteristics of heroes: who they are and where they come from, as well as how they use their power, whether for better or for worse.
