After his emerging artist award speech that drew a standing ovation at last year’s NCECA conference, the ceramic community fell in love with Roberto Lugo. His drive, mission, and outspoken nature were refreshing in a field saturated with quiet, passive passion. Last March, he launched into his speech with a spoken word poem about prejudice, poverty, art, and community and everyone in the sleepy auditorium perked up. I was moved by his speech at NCECA, but I couldn’t help but wonder if his artwork could also hold its own on stage, with an equally as confident, impassioned, informed, and poetic rhetoric. Lugo’s current show at Ferrin Contemporary proves that it can.
Above Image: Roberto Lugo, Ghetto Garniture: Wu Tang Worcester Exhibition, Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo, Ghetto Garniture: Wu Tang Worcester Exhibition, Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
The exhibition titled Ghetto Garniture: Wu Tang Worcester (August 22-October 12, 2015) is eclectic, offering multiple points of entry to his concepts including avenues of history, humor, and pop-culture. The exhibition is like flipping channels on TV, consecutively passing Sesame Street, MTV music videos, CNN, the Antiques Roadshow, and WWE wrestling. It shares with television a feeling of saturation, a group of topics combined to satisfy every wildly different type of viewer in one sitting. An impossible task, but it brings attention to the challenges of living in a diverse culture. But instead of having all these channels and feeling like there is nothing worth watching, Lugo engages throughout.
The show features Lugo’s work created during his artist residency at Project Art in Cummington, Massachusetts. The collection includes ceramic pots, an interactive mosaic, painting, drawing, and photographs. Some of the work was created in collaboration with other artists including sculptor Alexandra Jelleberg and photographer Bill Wright. In Chain Composition Lugo is photographed by Wright wearing a wrestling champion necklace and the paired photo titled World Champion of the World: Defiant is of a young boy with a ceramic wrestling belt, both props made by Lugo. His interest in collaboration is connected to his ongoing commitment to strengthening community through teaching, raising money for people in need, and mentoring young students.
“My experiences as an indigent minority inform my version of Puerto Rican American history.” Lugo said. “With my education in critical theory, art education, art history, and studio art I have developed a studio practice that fluidly communicates with diverse audiences. I bring art to those that do not believe they need to see it and engage in deeper ways of knowing, learning, and thinking.”
(right) Roberto Lugo, Teapot: Ol’ Dirty Bastard (O.D.B.) and Sojourner Truth, 2015, porcelain, lustre, china paint, 14 x 10.5 x 7”. and (Left) Roberto Lugo, Teapot: Frida Kahlo & Maya Angelou and Julia de Burgos & Erykah Badu, 2015, porcelain, lustre, china paint, 12.5 x 10 x 6.” Images: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Lugo’s work is autobiographical, but not egotistical. He presents his life and humanity, from family deaths to his interest in the Wu-Tang Clan, as something for the viewer to relate to. Simultaneously feeling connected and alien is what gives the show the ability to move. You may end up feeling something like: “if I can empathize with losing a loved one, maybe I can understand the Wu-Tang clan too.” A brilliant culturally progressive metaphor.
One of the most poignant pieces in Ghetto Garniture is We are All Kings 2015, an urn decorated with the portraits of Mike Brown, Travon Martin, Eric Garner, and Rodney King – all subjects of recent controversial black deaths.
Lugo explains the intent behind the urn:
“This piece was inspired by the recent losses of Black lives through controversial means. Through these tragedies, the statement “Black Lives Matter” was made popular and has created conversation about race equality in contemporary society. My hope in making this piece is to create a tangible work reflecting this idea. By creating an urn, I am creating an object that will live beyond current events. In the same way that royalty has been given tribute in the past, I am paying homage to these lives by placing their images on this piece. My claim is that all of humanity is equal. Rather than take a side, my work hopes to appeal to reverence for all lives lost regardless of race, in the belief that we are all kings.”
Roberto Lugo, “We are All Kings 2015” with portraits of Mike Brown, Travon Martin, Eric Garner, and Rodney King, 2015, porcelain, lustre, china paint, 27 x 10 x10.” Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
According to the gallery, the show “stimulates new conversations around cultural tolerance,” but I think this is misleading. To tolerate is to allow something to exist that you don’t necessarily agree with – this show is more optimistic. Ghetto Garniture parallels our cultural landscape and history stimulating conversations about the still-unfolding path to wide-spread acceptance, embracement, and, ultimately, celebration of diversity.
In a lecture at Harvard, Lugo made a point that gets at the essence of his work:
“I realized when I was painting Michael Brown’s portrait at 2:00 a.m. I could have been him – he could have been me.”
Justin Crowe is a Writer and Director of Operations at CFile.
Any thoughts about Roberto Lugo’s contemporary ceramic art? Tell us what you think in the comment box below!
Roberto Lugo, “We are All Kings 2015” Detail portrait of Eric Garner, 2015, porcelain, lustre, china paint, 27 x 10 x10.” Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo, “We are All Kings 2015”, Detail: portrait of Rodney King, 2015, porcelain, lustre, china paint, 27 x 10 x10.” Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo, “We are All Kings 2015,” Detail portrait of Travon Martin, 2015, porcelain, lustre, china paint, 27 x 10 x10.” Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo, Ghetto Garniture: Wu Tang Worcester Exhibition, Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo, Ghetto Garniture: Wu Tang Worcester Exhibition, Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Lugo, Roberto, Portrait Bust: Roberto Lugo | Collaboration Yelizaveta Masalimova Cunningham, 2015, porcelain, glaze, lustre, 24 x 14.5 x 10”, Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo, Teapot: Ol’ Dirty Bastard (O.D.B.) and Method Man, 2015, porcelain, lustre, china paint, 12 x 8 x 5.5,” Image Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo, Ghetto Garniture: Wu Tang Worcester Exhibition, Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo, Ghetto Garniture: Wu Tang Worcester Exhibition, Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo, Ghetto Garniture: Wu Tang Worcester Exhibition, Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Lugo, Roberto, Century Vase III: American Refuge, 2015, 18.75 x 12 x 13″, Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Lugo, Roberto, Century Vase II: Black History, 2015, porcelain, lustre, china paint, 19.5 x 15 x 14”, Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo, Urn: Ol’ Dirty Bastard (O.D.B.) and Dr. Cornel West, 2015, porcelain, underglaze, glaze, lustre, 21.5 x 11.5 x 11.5,” Image Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo, Ghetto Garniture: Wu Tang Worcester Exhibition, Image: Courtesy of F
Lugo, Roberto, Century Vase II: Black History, 2015, porcelain, lustre, china paint, 19.5 x 15 x 14”, Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo, Urn: Erykah Badu and Sojourner Truth (view 1), 2015, porcelain, lustre, china paint, 27 x 10 x 10,” Image Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo, Urn: Erykah Badu and Sojourner Truth (view 2), 2015, porcelain, lustre, china paint, 27 x 10 x 10,” Image Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo, Ghetto Garniture: Wu Tang Worcester Exhibition, Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Painting: Roberto Lugo, Unity Triptych: Big Pun | Collaboration Alexandra Jelleberg, 2015, canvas, acrylic, oil paint, 60 x 60,” Image Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Bill Wright, Teaset Chain Composition, 2015, 38 x 57,” Giclee Print Edition of 4, Image Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Bill Wright, World Champion of the World: Defiant, 2015, 57 x 42,” Giclee Print Edition of 4, Image Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo, Ghetto Garniture: Wu Tang Worcester Exhibition, Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Roberto Lugo at work. Image: Courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary
Lugo’s work is very moving, as was his NCECA talk. His passion is palpable; the breadth of his vision inspiring. But this comment is about what is written here. Thank you for pointing out that the word, “tolerance” is a negative word. For years, I have spoken out against the use of this word as a positive expression when it comes to acceptance of difference. The better word is, in fact, “acceptance”, or even “appreciation”! Thank you.
What street address in Worcester, can your works best viewed?
Fabulous vessels, my friend. Would love to learn something about your glazes and decals or other details on decorating your pots!
Bravo!
Kindest Regards,
Jim Bouthiller
Hey Jim. The exhibition is on display at Ferrin Contemporary at 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA. Through October 12th!
Thank you CFILE and Justin for sharing this show with your readers through both the photos and articulate insights about his wide ranging source material. Roberto shared his artistic process with so many of us along the way, drawing people in as collaborators, studio assistants and now as viewers. His NCECA talk, subsequent readings, spoken word poetry and talks taking place in conjunction with the residency and exhibition continue to inspire. Every day in the gallery, the conversation about tolerance, compassion, acceptance takes place, one on one. You’re right, this show is optimistic. Thanks.