miguel luciano

511 west 25th street, new york, ny 10001

www.cueartfoundation.org

2006–2007 m i g u e l lu c i a n o

LEAD SPONSOR OF 2006-07 SEASON

OF EXHIBITION CATALOGUES:

KYESUNG PAPER GROUP (SOUTH KOREA)

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY:

ELIZABETH FIRESTONE GRAHAM FOUNDATION

CUEArtFoundation

December7,2006-January27,2007

CuratedbyJuanSanchez

m igUEl lUC iAno

Foreword CUEArtFoundation

WearehonoredandgratefultopresentthisexhibitiongenerouslycuratedbyJuanSanchez.

FortheCUEsoloexhibitionseries,mr.Sanchezhaschosenfellowartist,miguelluciano,anartist

borninPuertoRicowhoisnowlivingandworkinginnewYork.lucianohaslongbeenadmired

byasanartistwhohasusedhisheritagetoforgeauniqueartisticvoice.Sanchez’sappreciationof

luciano’sworkdemonstratesjustsuchadmiration.

CUEispleasedtorecognizethatthisismr.luciano’sfirstsoloexhibitionin

newYork.mr.Sanchezandwe,together,celebratethiseffortandwishhimafutureoffulfillment

andsuccess.

ArtistStatement MiguelLuciano

myworkaddressesplayfulandpainfulexchangesbetweenPuertoRicoandtheUnitedStates,

questioningacolonialrelationshipthatexiststopresentdayandproblematizingthespace

betweenthetwocultures.iaminterestedinexamininghowcolonialsubordinationis

extendedthroughglobalizationascommunitieshaveshiftedgearsfromaproductionbased

societytoonethatisgroundedinconsumption.myworkoftenorganizespopular,religious,

andconsumericonographyintofluctuatingnewhierarchiestodescribethehybridityof

contemporarybeliefsystems.

Curator’sStatement JuanSanchez

I try to use my music as a machine to move these people to act — to get changes done”

—Jimi Hendrix

miguellucianoisacognizantanddynamicartist.Hispaintings,sculpture,videosandcombined

mediainstallationsraisecriticalquestionsaboutglobalizationandcolonialdependency,particu-

larlyexaminingthesocialandpoliticalimpactonPuertoRicanandlatinocommunities.luciano’s

formativeconvictionstemsfromanindividualandcollectiveconsciousthatfuelhisartwith

relevantsignificance.Hissemioticuseofreligious,popularandcommercialiconography,appropri-

atedproductlabels,graffitiandtextarevisuallyarresting,excitingandconceptuallyprovocative.

lucianocriticallyreconstructs,subvertsandestablishesnewhierarchies,meaningsandallegories

thatredefinethePuertoRicanparadigm.Electoralpolitics,consumerism,poverty,racism,sexism,

demoralization,stagnationandalienationunderthedenseanddarkcloudsofU.S.colonialism

arearticulatedthroughculturalnostalgia,humorandsometimescarnivalesquehysterics.Popular

PuertoRicanandnorthAmericaniconsoftenduelandcompete,fromSuperVejigantesandJibaro

ColonelSanders,toCosmicTainosandRonaldmacDonaldConquistadors.Relationshipsthatare

bothappealingandabsurd,painfulandplayful,thisisluciano’svisualandconceptualstrategy.

miguelluciano’sworkisofteninteractiveaswell,withcommunityaccessand

participationapriority.Coin-operatedKiddierides,Hotwheelscarracesandsupermarketvending

machinesareamongmanyamusingandentertainingdeviceslucianoengagestostimulate

ethnicprideandcommunityconsciousness,especiallyamongyouthlivingindireanddepressing

urbanenvironments.Throughartworkshops,muralprojectsandothercreativeencounters,

lucianoinspiresyoungpeopletoexploretheirpotential,emphasizingcreativityandthebound-

lessfreedomtoexpressthemselves.Amonghismosteffectivepublicart/activistprojectswasthe

PeaceforVieques–Kitesproject,whereyoungpeopledesignedkitesthatflewoverthefencesof

anoccupyingmilitarybase.life-sizeportraitsofViequesresidentswerephotographicallyprinted

oneverykite,givingtheimpressionofpeopleflyingasthekiteswerelaunched.

luciano’sartisatthecoreofuniversalrelevancebecauseiteffectivelyconnects,

unitesandcelebrateshumanity’swillforfreedom,respectandself-determination.Thoughartof

socialandpoliticalcontentisnotnew,thereisclearlyaneedfordaring,appealing,reflectiveand

persuasiveart.miguelluciano’svisuallydynamicanddeterminedworkwilleventuallyimpressand

attracttheartworld,butithasalreadybeguntoimpactandtouchtheneedsoftherealworld,

aswellitshould.

“

Titleneedcaptionhere50wordstotal.isamultimediasculpturalinstallationthatcombines

PuertoRicanfolklorewithconsumerfantasyinaninteractiveHotWheelsracingcompetition.

HotWheelsracingwasarecentconsumerphenomenoninPuertoRicothatbecameawide

spreadsocialpastime,producingrecord-breakingsalesformattelCorporation.

PurePlantainumisasculptureandphoto-basedseriesofworksbasedonplantainsplatedinactual

platinum.TheplantainisastereotypicalyeticonicsymbolofPuertoRicanandCaribbeanculture

signifyingnotionsofraceandclass,aswellasahistoryoflaborandexploitation.The“plantainum”

hasapristineplatinumsurfaceontheoutsidewhiletheactualfruitdecomposesontheinside.

.

Titleneedcaptionhere50words

total.isamultimediasculptural

installationthatcombinesPuerto

Ricanfolklorewithconsumerfantasy

inaninteractiveHotWheelsracing

competition.HotWheelsracingwas

arecentconsumerphenomenon

inPuertoRicothatbecameawide

spreadsocialpastime,producing

record-breakingsalesformattel

Corporation.

LaManoPoderosaRacetrackisamultimediasculpturalinstallationthatcombinesPuerto

RicanfolklorewithconsumerfantasyinaninteractiveHotWheelsracingcompetition.Viewers

competeformixedblessingsinaracefromtheStigmataStartinggateoftheAll-PowerfulHand

totheSacredHeartFinishline,wherefinalistswincovetedgoldenPlatano-mobileTrophies.

CuandolasGallinasMean(WhenHensPee)isapublicartvendingmachinethatreferstothe

PuertoRicanexpression,“¡losniñoshablancuandolasgallinasmean!”,equivalenttotheEnglish

expression“childrenshouldbeseenandnotheard.”Sincehensneverpee,thephrasesuggests

thatchildrensuppresstheiremotionsandconcerns,anearlyformoflearnedcensorship.





TheInflatableHeadofColumbusreferstoafailedChristopherColumbusmonumentinPuertoRico.Thestatue,

designedbyRussianartistZurabTsereteliwasrejectedbyseveralU.S.citiesbeforealocalmayorfromCataño,

PuertoRicoacceptedit.itwasshippedinpiecesandcostlocaltaxpayersmillionsofdollarsinshippingalone.

TodayChristopherColumbusliesbrokenandscatteredinthousandsofbronzepieces,oxidizinginanoutdoorlot.

CoquiKiddieRideisacoin-operatedkiddieridethatmergestropicalnostalgiaandurban

machineryinacustomizedready-madethatunderscorestheinabilityoftransplanted

communitiestorecreatetheirpast.ThemachineplaysambientrecordingsoftheCoquifrog,

anationalsymbolofPuertoRico.

JuanSánchezwasborninBrooklyn,newYork,1954,toparentswhoimmigratedfromPuertoRico.

HeearnedaBachelorofFineArtsdegreefromTheCooperUnionSchoolofArtin1977andin

1980amasterofFineArtsdegreefromthemasongrossSchooloftheArtsofRutgersUniversity.

Hispaintings,printsandphotographyhavebeenexhibitedthroughoutthe

UnitedStates,Europe,EgyptandlatinAmerica.SanchezhashadsoloexhibitionsatExitArt,

nY;P.S.1/momAContemporaryArtCenter,nY;ElmuseodelBarrio,nY;the19945thHabana

Bienale,Cuba;TheBronxmuseumoftheArts,nY;andElmuseodeHistoria,AntrpologiayArte,

UniversidaddePuertoRico.JUAnSAnCHEZ:PrintedConvictions:PrintsandRelatedWorkson

Paper,a1998-2000nationaltourexhibition,wascuratedandorganizedbyAlejandroAnreus,

Ph.DandTheJerseyCitymuseum.

FellowshipsandgrantsincludetheJohnSimonguggenheimFoundationFellow-

ship,thePollack-KrasnerFoundationgrant,thenewYorkFoundationfortheArtsFellowshipand

thenationalEndowmentfortheArts.Hisworkisrepresentedinthecollectionsofthemetropol-

itanmuseumofArt,nY,TheWhitneymuseumofAmericanArt,nY,ThemuseumofmodernArt,

nY,ElmuseodelBarrio,nY,ElinstitutodeCulturaPuertorriqueña,CubaandElCentroWilfredo

lam,Cuba,amongothers.JuanSanchezisProfessorofArtatHunterCollege,theCityUniversity

ofnewYork.

b.SanJuan,PuertoRico,1972

miguellucianoreceivedhisB.F.A.fromthenewWorldSchooloftheArts,inmiami,Floridaand

m.F.A.fromtheUniversityofFloridaatgainesville.Hisworkhasbeenexhibitedinternationallyat

TheljubljanaBiennialinSlovenia,TheSanJuanTriennialinPuertoRico,andTheZverevCenter

forContemporaryArtinmoscow,andatThenewarkmuseum,ElmuseodelBarrio,TheBronx

museumofArt,RonaldFeldmangallery,andTheChelseaArtmuseuminnewYork.Soloexhibi-

tionsincludetheinstituteforPuertoRicanCultureinSanJuan,PuertoRico,RealArtWaysin

Hartford,Connecticut,galeriaTintaRojainChicago,andtheCUEArtFoundationinnewYork.

Biographies JuanSanchez

MiguelLuciano

missionStatement CUEArtFoundation

CUEArtFoundation,a501(c)(3)non-profitartsorganization,

isdedicatedtoprovidingacomprehensivecreativeforumfor

contemporaryartbysupportingunder-recognizedartistsviaa

multi-facetedmissionspanningtherealmsofgalleryexhibitions,

publicprogramming,professionaldevelopmentprogramsand

arts-in-education.TheFoundationwasestablishedinJuneof2002

withtheaimofprovidingeducationalprogramsforyoungartists

andaspiringartprofessionalsinnewYorkandfromaroundthe

country.Theseprogramsdrawontheuniquecommunityofartists,

critics,andeducatorsbroughttogetherbytheFoundation’sseason

ofexhibitions,publiclectures,workshops,anditsstudioresidency

program:allaredesignedtobeoflastingpracticalbenefitto

aspiringandunder-recognizedartists.TheentireCUEidentityis

characterizedbyartisticquality,independentjudgmentandthe

discoveryofgenuinetalent,andprovideslong-termbenefitsboth

forcreativeindividualsassociatedwithCUEandthelargerart

marketplace.locatedinnewYork’sChelseagallerydistrict,CUE’s

4,500squarefeetofgallery,studioandofficespaceservesasthe

nexusforeducationalprogramsandexhibitionsconductedbyCUE.

Cover:Pure Plantainum (detail),2006

Archivalinkjetprint,24”x36”

Allartwork©miguelluciano

CatalogdesignedbyElizabethEllis

iSBn:0-9776417-750735

PrintedonTriPinepaperofKyeSungPapergroup(SouthKorea)

Cover:TriPineArtnouveau209gsm(78lb),Text:TriPineSilk157gsm(106lb)

Printer:YonArtPrinting(SouthKorea)

BoARdoFdIRECToRS

gregoryAmenoff

TheodoreS.Berger

PatriciaCaesar

Thomasg.Devine

ThomasK.Y.Hsu

BrianD.Starer

AdvISoRyCoUnCIL

gregoryAmenoff

WilliamCorbett

VernonFisher

malikgaines

DeborahKass

KrisKuramitsu

Jonathanlethem

irvingSandler

ExECUTIvEdIRECToR

JeremyAdams

dIRECToRoF

dEvELoPMEnT

ElaineBowen

PRoGRAMS

CooRdInAToR

BeatriceWolert-Weese

PRoGRAMSASSISTAnT

KaraSmith

miguel luciano

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