Waiting for the Dead #5, 2025
Oil on paper on hardboard, framed
24x36
“Waiting for the Dead #5” is part of an early “Waiting for the Dead” docupainting series. Docupainting is a technique pioneered by Rodrigo Dorfman somewhere at the intersection of the immediacy of documentary photography, the mind's cutting-edge expanding qualities of AI technology, and the timelessness of oil painting. The portrait of this young girl is based on one of Dorfman’s photographs, processed through many layers of AI in order to shift the identity of the subject. The resulting image is then transposed to printed photographic panels that are glued to a hardboard, sanded, and then painted using the finest oils. The glazing is also layered, creating the feeling of the ancient encaustic techniques using heated wax. This process gives the painting a thick, rugged patina, adding to the” timeless” look.
Dorfman’s “Waiting for the Dead” series is based on photographing the cultural heritage of the working class that makes up a large portion of the historical demographic migrant ongoing event known as the Great Latino Migration to the American South. In order to honor the working-class backgrounds of the subjects, Dorfman specifically uses construction materials to create the basis of the docupaintings. The frame is handmade by Dorfman using materials he has recycled from the dumpsters of construction sites all around Durham, North Carolina.
“Waiting for the Dead #5” is a distinctive piece of art, not only because of its singular production process but also because it documents a historical event: The Great Latino Migration.
By scanning the QR code in the photos, you can see a live Wall Preview of the piece. Just point your phone camera at the QR code and click on the link.
***
Rodrigo Dorfman is an award-winning writer, filmmaker, and docupainter, who has worked with ITVS, POV, HBO, PBS, Salma Hayek’s Ventanazul, and the BBC, among others. For over 25 years, Rodrigo Dorfman has been documenting the Great Latine Migration to the American South through a series of community-centered hybrid films. His films have been screened at some of the top film festivals in the world and broadcast on PBS across the USA. His latest documentary Bulls and Saints, broadcast in 2023 was seen by over 2,2 million viewers. His multimedia exhibits, including video, photography, and paintings, have been exhibited coast to coast, from the MACK in Los Angeles to the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington. In 2024, he premiered The Time Travelers of Durham and other Fabulations, his first solo exhibit, pioneering the docupainting techniques he has been developing for over a decade. He is currently sharing an exhibit with Cornelio Campos titled The Disobedient Ones, on view at the Frederic Jameson Gallery on Duke East Campus till December 12th.
Oil on paper on hardboard, framed
24x36
“Waiting for the Dead #5” is part of an early “Waiting for the Dead” docupainting series. Docupainting is a technique pioneered by Rodrigo Dorfman somewhere at the intersection of the immediacy of documentary photography, the mind's cutting-edge expanding qualities of AI technology, and the timelessness of oil painting. The portrait of this young girl is based on one of Dorfman’s photographs, processed through many layers of AI in order to shift the identity of the subject. The resulting image is then transposed to printed photographic panels that are glued to a hardboard, sanded, and then painted using the finest oils. The glazing is also layered, creating the feeling of the ancient encaustic techniques using heated wax. This process gives the painting a thick, rugged patina, adding to the” timeless” look.
Dorfman’s “Waiting for the Dead” series is based on photographing the cultural heritage of the working class that makes up a large portion of the historical demographic migrant ongoing event known as the Great Latino Migration to the American South. In order to honor the working-class backgrounds of the subjects, Dorfman specifically uses construction materials to create the basis of the docupaintings. The frame is handmade by Dorfman using materials he has recycled from the dumpsters of construction sites all around Durham, North Carolina.
“Waiting for the Dead #5” is a distinctive piece of art, not only because of its singular production process but also because it documents a historical event: The Great Latino Migration.
By scanning the QR code in the photos, you can see a live Wall Preview of the piece. Just point your phone camera at the QR code and click on the link.
***
Rodrigo Dorfman is an award-winning writer, filmmaker, and docupainter, who has worked with ITVS, POV, HBO, PBS, Salma Hayek’s Ventanazul, and the BBC, among others. For over 25 years, Rodrigo Dorfman has been documenting the Great Latine Migration to the American South through a series of community-centered hybrid films. His films have been screened at some of the top film festivals in the world and broadcast on PBS across the USA. His latest documentary Bulls and Saints, broadcast in 2023 was seen by over 2,2 million viewers. His multimedia exhibits, including video, photography, and paintings, have been exhibited coast to coast, from the MACK in Los Angeles to the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington. In 2024, he premiered The Time Travelers of Durham and other Fabulations, his first solo exhibit, pioneering the docupainting techniques he has been developing for over a decade. He is currently sharing an exhibit with Cornelio Campos titled The Disobedient Ones, on view at the Frederic Jameson Gallery on Duke East Campus till December 12th.