Romero’s early graphite pieces from the 1970s stylistically draw on inspiration from the work of Pablo Picasso and Rico Le Brun, whose experimental dwellings on the organic, human form throughout mixed media inspired many of Romero’s works. But the background of the Black Drawings series is the police brutality he witnessed during the Chicano Moratorium in Los Angeles. In this work the artist pulls from personal references and familiar images to craft a scene i“ graphite composed of fragmented imager” of human anatomy. - Margarita Nieto, "Conversation with artist: Frank Romero." Latin American Art (1991).