'Rona Lisa - Cyberpunk Edition', Iridescent Paint and Oil Stick on Canvas by XVALA
From the Pandemic Collection: Series #3
This painting by XVALA is a futuristic and dystopian twist on the classic masterpiece, Mona Lisa, with his take on what da Vinci's mind might have conceived in 2020. Mona Lisa is so famous that she's instantly recognizable even under gloves, a mask, and a bio-hazard suit, yet she meets the modern age with cyberpunk makeup and a backdrop that calls to mind the dystopian worlds of Blade Runner, Dark City, and Akira.
XVALA's art illuminates the hidden fallout spawned from our high tech Internet Age. His 'Fear Google' campaign exposed the decay of privacy and No Delete using hacked nude celebrity photos to highlight loss of control over personal information. The artist has worked with trash from the homes of Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, and others, as well as dirt from the graves of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley. The dirt appears in his 'New World Order' collection as part of a pyramidal, 3D printed, living ant farm - a symbol of the surveillance and conformity the digital state forces on users.
XVALA exposes a blurring between public and private information while supporting privacy, freedom of speech, and content ownership. His 'Meme Ranch' project addresses a theft of both freedom of information and freedom of expression by governments and tech giants.
XVALA is often compared to Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Richard Prince. His street art offers satirical commentary on other artists, including Banksy. XVALA is based in the United States.
- Subject Matter: Punk Mona Lisa in PPE
- Created: 2020
- Collections: Artworks for December 2022 Opening - Upstairs, Large Scale Paintings, Local Oklahoma Art