East Harlem

Puerto Rican Artists Fernando Ruíz Lorenzo and COCO144 Paint a Homage to Oscar López Rivera at East Harlem’s Camaradas El Barrio

May 29, 2014

The following guest post is by Yoav Litvin, the author of the recently released Outdoor Gallery – New York City, a book on contemporary NYC street art and graffiti.

Today, May 29, 2014, marks the 33^rd anniversary of the incarceration of Oscar López Rivera. Born in San Sebastián, Puerto Rico in 1943, Rivera moved to the United States at age 9. At 18, Oscar was drafted into the United States army, stationed in Vietnam and awarded the Bronze Star for his service. After the war, Oscar returned to the Puerto Rican community in Chicago and found it in a dire state: the community was plagued with drug addiction, vast unemployment, inadequate health care and poor education. Profoundly affected by the condition of his community, Oscar became a community organizer and activist, working towards equality.

In a highly political and controversial trial, Rivera was sentenced to a total of 70 years in prison for numerous felonies, including seditious conspiracy for his actions resisting the forceful authority of the United States over Puerto Rico. Rivera was accused of being a member of FALN, the Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional (Armed Forces of National Liberation), which had been linked to dozens of bombings aimed at raising awareness of Puerto Rico’s situation. Notably, the authorities were never able to tie Rivera or any of the other defendants in the case to any bombing. In 1999, President Bill Clinton offered clemency to Rivera and 15 additional Puerto Rican Nationalist members of FALN. However, Rivera rejected the offer because it was not extended towards fellow prisoner Carlos Alberto Torres, who was subsequently released in 2010.

To mark the 33^rd anniversary of the incarceration of Oscar López Rivera, Puerto Rican NYC-based artists COCO144 and Fernando Ruíz Lorenzo painted a collaborative mural in his honor at Camaradas El Barrio in Spanish Harlem, NYC. I recently interviewed both artists:

Why did you create this mural? What is its message, and whom do you aim to reach?

Fernando Ruíz Lorenzo: I was asked by Orlando Plaza, the owner of Camaradas El Barrio, to create a mural dedicated to Oscar López Rivera. I immediately thought of COCO144, a fellow Puerto Rican artist and friend I have worked with on multiple exhibitions since 2005. COCO’s work has always had a political dimension, and he has been an advocate for writers of the aerosol movement since its beginnings in New York City in the late 60s and early 70s. When I asked him to paint the mural, he agreed on the condition that we work on it together.

The mural’s message is ultimately for the viewer to determine. The piece we did obviously advocates for Mr. López Rivera’s release, but to COCO and me it is more. It’s an intergenerational dialogue representative of our artistic freedom; it is our inheritance as sons of the Puerto Rican diaspora in New York City and the world. My hope is to increase awareness about Oscar López Rivera’s case and reach the younger Latino youth in the city. As Puerto Rican artists and writers in New York, we have been instrumental to the development of the city’s progressive social-fabric since the industrial boom of the late 1800’s. We continue that historic legacy, but instead of rolling cigars or sewing clothing, we’re creating art.

COCO144: Eternal (Fernando Ruíz Lorenzo) approached me with the idea of painting a homage to Oscar López Rivera and, in turn, I asked him to collaborate. I feel that painting the mural at Camaradas El Barrio is another vehicle of reaching out to the public and, specifically, the establishment’s patrons. Its message is that after 33 years of incarceration, Mr. López Rivera should be set free.

How does Oscar López Rivera’s legacy affect your life — in general — and your artistic practice, in particular?

COCO144: I draw parallels with the legacy. First, there have been a number of Puerto Rican nationalists who have been treated in the same manner — or worse: Don Pedro Albizu Campos, Lolita Lebron, Oscar Collazo, and Alejandrina Torres, to name a few. As a Puerto Rican, their treatment carves into my soul. That they are restricted in expressing their national pride contradicts the US constitution and its foundations. Artistically? Everything in life affects me on that level!

Fernando Ruíz Lorenzo: Since my early childhood, my father taught me the history of Puerto Rico and its colonial relationship with Spain and the United States. It’s a lifelong dialogue. We would discuss it while I was sorting my baseball cards. It’s part of our condition as human beings. Oscar López Rivera is another political prisoner in this long colonial relationship, but he is still alive! We have a chance to help free him and continue to fight for the freedom of all political prisoners who strive towards a just and democratic reality. Engaging my history is part of my artistic practice. Without it, my work would not exist in the same way and I would not be the same person.

What do you perceive as the role of art and creativity within NYC’s Puerto Rican community?

COCO144: There shouldn’t be restrictions for art and creativity for Puerto Ricans — or for anyone — in NYC or anywhere. Puerto Rican artists have organized and created workshops/institutions for the arts in communities like El Barrio, Loisaida (the Lower East Side) and Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We have, also, done so in other parts of New York, the United States and the world.

Fernando Ruíz Lorenzo: Art and creativity are at the very center of our culture. Art is our embassy. Arte es nuestra embajada. As Ana Lydia Vega, the Puerto Rican writer, once wrote, “Literature and art in Puerto Rico have to take the place of embassies and consulates…” Our artwork has been the embassy and consulate in New York and throughout the world. Art and creativity were at the center of the writing movement in New York City. Puerto Ricans contributed to the establishment of the writing tradition at its inception. We developed the art form and continue to propel it forward. One example is the artist Jean Michel Basquiat. Of Puerto Rican and Haitian heritage, he started as a writer in NYC and developed into one of the most influential artists in the world. Art and letters are our specialty, and they’ve travelled beyond the walls, trains, galleries and museums to become a global phenomenon — the foundation of a whole global industry and community. There’s not one writer in the world who can’t trace his/her roots back to New York City. It’s in every line of a writer’s signature, handstyle, tag, or piece. It’s our legacy.

A LA LETRA, an exhibit featuring new works by COCO144 and Fernando Ruíz Lorenzo, will open on Sunday, June 8, 6-10 pm at Camaradas El Barrio‘s Emperial Gallery. The artists’ new mural honoring Oscar López Rivera will be officially unveiled at the opening.

You can check out Yoav Litvin’s interview with COCO144 here.

Photo of the two artists in front of their mural by Yoav Litvin; mural close-up, completed mural and Camaradas at night by Vin Zarate.

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Speaking with Adrian Roman aka Viajero

January 2, 2014

I first met Viajero this past summer while he was fashioning a mural on East 111 Street for Los Muros Hablan NYC. I became an instant fan of his distinct aesthetic. A few months later, I caught up with him at the Julia De Burgos Cultural Center for its Dia De Los Muertos 2013 art exhibit.

When I came upon you at work on your mural for Los Muros Hablan, you mentioned that it was your first time painting in the streets. What was it like? Would you do it again?

It was a great experience. I loved working in a public space where I could interact with folks who passed by. Some stopped simply to observe, and others asked questions. And it was wonderful to have the opportunity to bring my vision to the streets of East Harlem – where my grandparents lived when they came from Puerto Rico. And, yes, I would love to do it again.

Could you tell us something about the Diaspora Mural? Who does it depict? What does it represent?

The subject of the mural is a young boy from Puerto Rico. The traditional mask that he is wearing symbolizes his cultural roots. Although I grew up here in NYC, I’m particularly interested in the immigrant experience and the notion of identity.

Your work is quite amazing. Do you have a formal art education?

When I was 12, I began taking specialized lessons at the Pratt Institute. I attended the Arts Students League of New York at age 18. I then earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the New World School of Art in Miami, Florida and a second BFA in Graphic Design from the New York Institute of Technology here in NYC.

Was all this formal training worthwhile?

I would say so. I have my own distinct style, but the art education I received drew it out of me and helped me refine it. Yes, my formal training was worthwhile.

Have any particular folks inspired you?

My grandfather was a painter. I have great admiration for him. He taught himself how to read and write in three different languages. My brother is a sculptor, and my uncle is an architect. I grew up among folks who inspired me.

What about cultures? What are some of the cultures that have influenced you?

I’ve traveled extensively through Africa, the Caribbean and Central America. I feel most connected to culture when spending time in countries and cities that hold onto their indigenous traditions. It is these indigenous cultures that have been my primary influence. I acknowledge and honor my indigenous roots in my artwork.

Have you exhibited your work in gallery settings?

Yes. I’ve shown my work in solo and group shows in the United States and in Puerto Rico.

How has the “art world” responded to you? Has it been receptive to your vision?

It has been. I feel that I’ve been able to find my own corner.

Any favorite artists?

My grandfather. He used to paint on coconuts falling from trees. Swoon is a particular favorite among street artists. And I love Whittfield Lovell – his portraits and his installations.

How has your work evolved — particularly in the past few years?

I’ve become increasingly engaged with the community.

Have you any particular theme that you attempt to convey in your work?

I’m interested in memory — in preserving it — especially in relation to our struggles. I like giving new life to found objects that embody cultural memory.

What do you see as the role of the artist in society?

For myself as an artist – it is to offer experiences to people that take them out of their comfort zone. I want folks to think and not blindly follow trends.

And we certainly look forward to seeing your vision on our streets again!

Interview by Lois Stavsky; photo of Viajero on East 111 Street by Dani Reyes Mozeson; photo of completed Diaspora Mural courtesy of the artist; final two photos of artwork at the Julia De Burgos Cultural Center by Lois Stavsky

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“Los Muros Hablan NYC” in East Harlem and the South Bronx: Axel Void, Pastel, Celso Gonzalez & Roberto Biaggi, Viajero, Rimx, Betsy Casañas, LNY, Jufe and Elian

August 29, 2013

From August 19 – August 25, Los Muros Hablan, an international urban arts festival, gave a voice to silent, empty walls in East Harlem and the South Bronx. Presented by La Repuesta, a leading Puerto Rican cultural space, Los Muros Hablan NYC, featured a wonderfully eclectic group of global artists.

Axel Void, 201 East 103rd Street in East Harlem

Pastel, 138 Street & Grand Concourse in the South Bronx — close-up from huge mural captured via instagram

Celso Gonzalez and Roberto Biaggi, 54 East 116th Street in East Harlem

Viajero, 2022 Third Avenue in East Harlem

Rimx,154 East 100th Street, as seen in progress last week

Betsy Casañas, 1664 Park Avenue in East Harlem

LNY, 195 East 100th Street in East Harlem

Jufe, 2018 Third Avenue in East Harlem

Elian, 138 Street & Grand Concourse in the South Bronx

Photos by Dani Mozeson & Lois Stavsky; keep posted to our Facebook page for more images of the completed murals from this week-long Los Muros Hablan NYC event presented in collaboration with Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito and El Museo del Barrio.

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“The Final Edition” at East Harlem’s Graffiti Hall of Fame: AK47, Pose 2, Chemis, HopsOne, Scratch, Shock, Part One, Kingbee, Tony 164, Slave, Jesus Saves, Tomb, Wizart, Mad1, & Had2, Jerms and Rain

August 26, 2013

Dozens of new pieces surfaced this past weekend in “The Final Edition” at East Harlem’s Graffiti Hall of Fame on 106th Street & Park Avenue. Here’s a sampling from the event presented by James Top Productions and Joey TDS:

Brazilian writer AK47