Francisco Moreno

SQUIRREL, EXTRA DIRTY

2024
acrylic on canvas
14 x 11 inches

Aware of—and always questioning—his relationship to art history, Francisco Moreno continually reinterprets genres and images from the past. In describing his inspiration for this meticulously painted image of a squirrel sipping a martini, Moreno says:

I was looking at the grass in a Northern Renaissance mother and child painting in Milan in 2019, and I thought about how normal and everyday it was. Then I thought about how that grass would look in a painting from today and how everyday animals would activate such a space. A relaxing squirrel by a tree came to mind. Personifying the squirrel by giving it a martini brings it into a surreal world while simultaneously making it relatable to the human condition. It becomes a meditation on something human and fantastical at the same time.

Loaded with historical and contemporary references, Moreno’s work exists as a playful take on one of the most essential cultural subjects—the figure in nature. In 2019, the Dallas Museum of Art acquired Moreno’s Chapel. His work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions at venues worldwide and can be found in collection such as Dallas Museum of Art; Green Family Collection, Dallas; Jimenéz-Colón Collection, Puerto Rico; and Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

estimated retail value: $5,000

The TWO x TWO AUCTION will take place at The Rachofsky House on Saturday, October 19, 2024. Absentee bids must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 18, 2024. If you are unable to attend TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art on Saturday, October 19, and would like to place a bid on a live or silent auction lot, you may complete the appropriate absentee bidding fields below. A TWO x TWO auction representative can bid on your behalf up to your pre-set maximum bid. If the work is part of the live auction, you may also be on the phone with an auction representative to place your bids during the live auction.

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