Untitled (Faceless Series) (2014) departs from Moreno's research connecting the 1943 Los Angeles Zoot Suit Riots with the subcultural codes reflected in zoot suit fashion, originally worn by jazz musician Cab Calloway and later adopted by Black, Chicano, and Asian youth. The silk-screen prints draw from the 1990 feature film Dick Tracy (directed by Warren Beatty), removing the character Breathless Mahoney, aka The Blank, from its cinematic context. In the film, Madonna portrayed the villainous nightclub singer, altering her voice to be raspy and hoarse, embodying both hero and villain.

The Blank first appeared in Dick Tracy #1 (October 21, 1937), drawn by Chester Gould, as a criminal named Frank Redrum (Murder spelled backwards). The character's disguise, a cheesecloth mask, functions like the zoot suit: both are forms of clothing that perform identity and concealment, and both were criminalized and policed in their historical context.

Untitled (Faceless Series) is evolving and was commissioned by SOMA, Mexico City, for their 2017 benefit auction.

More Info:
Date: 2014-Present
Medium: Silk Screen
Silk screen print on arches paper, 26" x 36"