Rubber Duckie is influenced by a style of Mexican mural art that follows the “Magical Naturalism” movement. These artists, like Vargassal, combine photo-realism and curious juxtapositions of objects in order to convey the strangeness of everyday life. In Vargassal’s series Totems, he pairs human figures with various representations of animals to “reveal the complex coexistence between the human world and wildlife.” Rubber Duckie‘s striking minimalist style and partially obscured figure make it an especially intriguing piece.
To view Ariel Vargassal’s work in person, visit the gallery nearest to you.