Rubens Gerchman (b. 1942)

The Virgem dos labios de mel is a good example of Rubens Gerchman's adherence to the Nova Figuracao movement. It is a simplified portrait of a young woman suggesting a graphic process such as silkscreen. Although her pose reminds the viewer of a photo taken in a public square, the framing of the figure with the red border, the text and the black lines call for a propagandistic poster. However, the Virgem dos labios de mel is neither. Like an icon of contemporary Brazilian society, she represents the inhabitants of the urban culture. A mulata with sensual lips, heavy make-up and dark long hair, she may be identified with the consumer society and the acculturation undergone by Brazil since its colonization.