Estéban Whiteside (b. 1985) is a self-taught artist based in Washington D.C.. Whiteside’s hard truths through childlike, reductive forms reveal the difficult realities of American society. Boldly colored, these paintings initially allow for an aesthetically playful escape however, upon further investigation reveal a sharp and critical insight of today’s world. This juxtaposition, what Whiteside refers to as Concrete Oppressionism, targets topics and their subjects to reveal the absurdity of American culture removing any room for interpretation. The obvious parodies are irreverent symbols intended to further reduce the weight of the truth which is too heavy to analyze in any other visual form.
