Gabriel Forrester Serpa
615 West 143 Street. #44
New York, NY. 10031
Cell: 917.648.7343
e-mail: gabeserpa@hotmail.com
www.gabrielserpa.com

I recently spent several months painting and living in the Centro Historico district of
Mexico City, where I continued to explore imagery that addresses the subject of
vulnerability. One night I awoke to the sound of a 30 unit building collapsing. Heavy
rains had weakened the buildings' foundation causing the structure to give way. Images of
bricks and rebar entangled in baby toys and bed linens were all that remained.
Fortunately, the family squatting in the building had moved out the day before. Imagery
such as this continues to fascinate me because I find it important to examine what
external factors make the human condition vulnerable.

As humans beings we take so much for granted. We rarely examine our own frailty. My
objective in painting these images is to cause the viewers to examine their own
vulnerability; thereby awakening a new consciousness of their tenuous relationship to the
natural environment.

©Gabriel Forrester Serpa, 2005.

"Piano" 2006, 13.5" X 17.5 " Ink and watercolor on paper