Hidden History (Constantin Brâncuşi, MQ-1 Predator & Mamayev) 2010 graphite on marble, 16 ½ x 36 inches. The Museum of Fine Art Houston, Latin American and Latino Art collection
Influenced by Renaissance perspectival drawing, 17th-century Dutch landscapes, as well as 21th-century digital imaging, Glexis Novoa investigates how codified language, symbols, and images are used as tools of power and political control. By incorporating historic references, including the Russian monument The Motherland Calls (a memorial to the Battle of Stalingrad), two retired American Military Planes (the MQ-I Predator and Stealth Bomber), and images of deceased dictators Sadam Hussein and Kim Il-Sung, the artist interrogates and undermines official discourses as well as the mechanism and representations of power. Moreover, by using a broken piece of marble as a support, Novoa references the fall of modernity and its utopian ideals and, more specifically, the deteriorating architecture and urban environment of Cuba.