Roberto Lugo poses under depictions of his parents on Capicú de Cariño (I Heard It Both Ways) in Madison Square Park (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
ROBERTO LUGO: ALFARERO DEL BARRIO
Madison Square Park
26th St. between Fifth & Madison Aves.
Through December 6, free
www.madisonsquarepark.org
www.robertolugostudio.com
flickr slideshow and videos
“I knew of the Madison Square Park art program from Martin Puryear’s work, from Maya Lin’s work, and thinking about this as a moment to see an artist’s vision in this context, a place where everybody goes,” Roberto Lugo told me at the May opening of “Alfarero del Barrio (Village Potter).” He added, “I also think about this as an opportunity, that we have this crossing of so many cultures that are intersecting here, so I thought to myself, If I ever have the opportunity to do something like that, what would my focus be? How do I represent my culture and connect to places in New York? When I think about Puerto Rican culture, I think about the Bronx, Spanish Harlem, all these places where there’s this fusion in the contribution of Puerto Ricans, and I wanted to see them come here, but even Latino people in general, people of color, when they’re coming here, it feels really good to have something bright and colorful and celebratory.”
Roberto Lugo’s Para Los Días Caliente (This Is for the Hot Ones) is not for the dogs (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
“Alfarero del Barrio (Village Potter)” is a multipart installation that consists of a fifteen-foot-high graffiti-laden red fire hydrant, Para Los Días Caliente (This Is for the Hot Ones), a giant version of the first piece he made as a ceramicist and an homage to his father, who, on hot days in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia where they’re from, would cool off with his family by spraying water from a hydrant; four Domino Tables around the reflecting pool feature images of Lugo, his grandfather, baseball hero Roberto Clemente, and Cuban-American singer Celia Cruz (people are invited to bring their own dominoes and play on the tables); and Capicú de Cariño (I Heard It Both Ways) is a twenty-foot-high vase-urn made of foam, paint, and steel with portraits of Puerto Ricans around it: Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, singer Bad Bunny, Clemente, playwrights Quiara Alegría Hudes and Lemon Andersen, and Lugo’s parents, in addition to flowers, dominoes, chickens, and other lively elements. There is also a graffitied archway that allows you to walk through the vase, further immersing you in Puerto Rican culture and history.
“He remembers where he came from,” his father told me.
In his artist statement, Lugo declares, “Yo soy Boricua. / a proud domino-playing, / pasteles-making, / piragua-selling, / fire hydrant-spraying, / plantain-peeling, / salsa-dancing, / alcapurria-consuming, / limber-on the front porch-hustling Puerto Rican.” He also explains, “In recognition of the semiquincentennial of the United States of America, I wanted to recognize the diverse contributions of Puerto Ricans. ‘Alfarero del Barrio’ is a celebration of Puerto Rican culture and a visual representation of our resilience, creativity, and courage. Puerto Rican heritage has roots in African, Taíno, and Spanish culture — a sofrito that provides flavor to everything we do. The history of this intersection is filled with stories of strife, injustice, and horror, but through it all, Puerto Ricans have proven to be icons of resourcefulness and ingenuity that are celebrated through our food, music, and culture.”
On September 16 at 5:30 and October 14 at 5:00, there will be free twenty-minute evening art tours starting on the Redbud Lawn, led by the MSPC curatorial team. And on September 19, a tea ceremony will take place on the Cherry Lawn at 4:30, including a performance by Lugo, who is also a spoken-word poet, and special musical guests Lennie Simo and Marley Howard, with everyone enjoying Puerto Rican snacks and Lugo’s mother’s ginger tea in cups made by Lugo that you can keep.
The exhibition continues through December 6, so you have plenty of time to experience its meaningful beauty and, as Lugo suggests, take photos of yourself in the vase, play dominoes, have fun at the hydrant, and “see that to be Puerto Rican is to be American.”
[Mark Rifkin is a Brooklyn-born, Manhattan-based writer and editor; you can follow him on Substack here.]