Lentejuelas

Rochester Institute of Technology

RIT Scholar Works

Theses Thesis/Dissertation Collections

7-1-1997

Lentejuelas

E. Vicente Martinez

Follow this and additional works at:http://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses

This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Thesis/Dissertation Collections at RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please [email protected].

Recommended Citation

LENTEJUELAS

Graduate Thesis Master of Fine Art

School of Photographic Arts and Sciences Rochester Institue of Technology

by E. Vicente Martinez

July 1997

Thesis Board Members ;

Elliott Rubenstein, Thesis Chair, Professor, Spas

_ _ _ _ _date

g'

JI

rL11-7

Jeff Weiss, Professor, Spas

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _date _

J. Tomas Lopez, Associate Professor, University of Miami

PERMISSION GRANTED

Title of Thesis: LENTEJUELAS

II

E.

Vicente Martinez I hereby grant permission to the Wallace Memorial Library of the Rochester Institute of Technology I and to the patrons of the same I to reproduce my thesis I in whole or in part Reproductions intended for

commercial use or profit are not allowed .

Signature of Author

THESIS

Inthis paper I willfulfill partial requirementsas stated inthe

graduate hand out: _"Summary of MFA Degree". I will provide a "coherent

and informal discussion of_my artisticworkand

process,"

and"place the

thesis projectwithinthe largercontext ofhistorical and contemporary

art,"

by evaluating my influences : _{my upbringing} ina _Hispanic, Roman

Catholic _{culture, my} strugglewith _my sexuality, fantasy as aform of

escape from _reality, andthe role of decoration in _my life andwork. Iwill

conclude thepaperwith a discussion of each piece.

In this _body ofwork I celebrate _my culture and lifestyle. The pieces

glisten with a myriad of embellishments such as _{sequins, spangles,}

rhinestones, prisims, pearls, feathersand satin. The elaborate decoration

ofthe artworkis an essential element ofthecontent _becausethe_enticing

sensuality ofthe materials acts as a vehiclethroughwhichthe viewer can

vicariouslyexperience elements of a lifestylethat _may beunfamiliarto

them

As I tried to understand _my obsessionwith _{decoration, it became}

obvious to me that thesefeelings had beenwith mealways _Myattraction

todecoration began _during my childhood inCuba andthe _Cuban

neighborhoods ofMiami. I remember_{fancy Cuban}

and women _{wearing lots} of gold_jewelrythat sparkled _{in my} eyes, shiny

new_cars, and _beauty pageants with womendressed in glamorous gowns.

In _{my mind, decoration became synonymouswith beauty, and Iwanted}

everything around meto be beautiful _{In myadolescence,} I achieved this by doing alot of_daydreaming

, my escapefroma confusing reality.I

would imagine _being in complete control of_{my life, living} in a place where

I could express myselfin the most uninhibited and purestform , without

worries or prejudice. Even back_then, years before I accepted_my sexual

orientation, I knew I was different. _{Unfortunately,} this difference

contradicted _everything Iwas _{being taught,} hence _creating confusion and

insecurity in my life. In part, mywork style or_technique, isattributed toa

freedom thatwas oppressed a _longtime ago.

Sharing similar cultural _traditions, the work of PeponOsorio has

been an influence for me. He uses decorationto express hisexperiences

as a Puerto Rican _living in New York. Thisexpression comes out in three

ways : "inthe use of_{the miniature,} which deflatesthe ineffableqaulities of

the_{thing being} remade _{; parody in}theform of grotesque or excessive

exaggeration _; and a use of multiples and _industriallyproduced objects

that become visual signsforthe_many meanings thatcan beascribed to

any one_thing" ₍ Fusco , Coco 1 991 "Vernacular

Memories"

Art in

America ₎ Hispieces are encrusted with_fabric, fake pearls, _dominoes,

flowers, religious _iconography, plastictoysand tassels. In _{my work,} Quinceaneraand Gauyaberatranslate bittersweetmemories and

affirmation of_my heritage carriedforthwith pride and personal reflection

They offer me a sense of _identity , a place in my culture and in society

Another influence for me has been certain aspects ofthe

philosophic role andfunction ofdecoration in architecture. I have adopted

part ofthe same _thinking in _my own work . Forexample

, thearchitect ,

Robert Venturi saidthat "less isa _bore", which was a _sharpcontradiction

aimed at the Modernists' minimalistic attitude setforth _{by Ludwig} van der

Rohewho said that"less is more ". In the nineteenth_{century, the} qualities

associated with decorationwere _{beauty, happiness,} and pleasure The

Victorians feltthatwith the more _decoration, themore _{beautiful everything}

would be. _Later, the Modernists revolted against_{ornamentation,} and

architecture became simplistic

This revolt againstMinimalism was paralleled inthe 1970 'swith a

group of artiststhat began to incorporatedecoration and pattern intheir

work Mexicantiles, American quilts, and ethnic art werejust several of

the influences spawning this new acquired interest in decoration. Artists

began meeting together in groupsto discuss issues of ornamentation

relevantto theirwork. _Eventually, asthis artformgot better known , it

was called the"New Decorativeness" or also known as "P & D "

(pattern

and decoration ₎ Someofthe people involved inthismovement were

artists such as , Thomas Lanigan-Schimdt , Jane Kaufman , Rodney

As I grew older and_{began making art, my}childhood ' over

exposure ' toelaborate decoration within _myculture began to manifest

itself in _mywork. Although I am a candidateforan MFA in photography,

myartistic background is in ceramics and mixed-media. I studied

ceramics as an undergraduate where I made _heavilytextured and ornate

forms. _{During myfellowship} from 1988- 1990 _atthe Penland School _of

Crafts in North _Carolina, I tookworkshops in book_{arts, photography,}

basketry, weaving, beadwork, and surfacedesign. Onceagain, everything

hadsubstantial decorative elements. Itwasat Penlandthat I first learned

the importance of process. I must _payclose attention to detail because

theaesthetic _qualityoftheworkis crucialto the success ofthe piece. _My

feelings were substantiated _byan interview in American Craftwith textile

artist, Jason Pollen. Hesays about hiswork, "

Stitching, weaving, building

something up layerby layer, row_{by row, knotting, making} carpets it's

all the samething. Although this process isrepetitive, it can be mindful

ratherthan mindless. When you get quiet andjust doone stitch at a _time,

or one leafat a _time, there's this greatvitality, this great_{energy, that} can

comethrough. " ₍ Paine , T. Janice 1994 "

Fragments in Compositon "

American Craft ₎ For _instance, "Marilyn "would notfunction as well as it

does if I had not glued each sequin individually. I did itthis_{way because I}

wanted toachieve a visual _qualitythatwouldn't bepossible if I had

carelesslythrown thesequin all over. Thiswas a _long and tedious

process, but itwasworth it because the piece emits an aura thatwould

In my private life I have used_fantasy as aformof escape from a

realityfilledwith cultural and religious _{expectations, prejudice,} and even

hate. _{Now, usingfantasy}as an importantelement in _mywork I am able to

release stifled and repressed ideasand experiences_{from my} youth, and

deal withthem ina _{spontaneous,whimsical,} and honestway. _Watching

old movies _depicting the great stars ofHollywoodwhen itwas glamorous

and wonderful has always been an escape forme. Diana Vreelandwrote

in the preface In a Glamorous _Life, "

Everythingwas largerthan life. The

diamonds were_bigger, thefurswere _thicker, and more. The _{silks, velvets,}

satins, and _chiffons, and miles of ostrich feathers. _Everythingwas an

exaggeration of_{history, fiction,} andthewhole wide_{extraordinary}world.

The eye_traveled, the mind traveled in a maze of perfection and

imagination"

( LaVine , W. Robert 1980 In a Glamorous Fashion , New

York : Scribner _{) The energy}and excitementthatinspired herwords, also

inspiredthis _bodyof_{work, especially}the _dragqueen pieces.

I have been "out ofthe closet"

foroverten years. But I struggled

with genderroles and sexual _identitywhen Iwas _growingup. Iwas in

denial of _mysexuality, because Iwas_taught, likeall good _Catholics, that

homosexualitywas a sin. _{By coming} out, not _onlywould I risk rejection

from the church, but more _importantly, from myfamily. When I was_young

it seemed essential to suppress _myfeelings and live _by religious and

cultural standards. Now, Ifeel a sense offreedom havingcome to terms

with _my sexual orientation I felta needto re-evaluate _everything Iwas

important factor. When that _{happened, understanding everything} else

was easy.

I wentthrough a processofself-exploration as I tried to understand

who I was and what thatmeant. As I immersed myself in a _{gay lifestyle} ,

not_only did I find a direction in _life, but a purpose. Iwanted _myworkto

beflambouyantand Iwanted to feel uninhibited. I wanted to scream to the

world that I was _gay and Iwas Cuban and_very proud ofit. _Mywork

neededto reflectthis pride

MARILYN

Transformation and illusion are _keyelements in _mywork. _They

deal with the ideaof decoration as _{beauty. This is especially}significant

withthe _drag queen pieces because both subjectswere men _pretending

tobewomen. I gained respect and _{inspiration from witnessing} their

metamorphosis The _hair, thefalseeye _lashes, the _heavy, butflawless

make-up, the padding, pulling, tucking, plucking, shaving and_{waxing, the}

stockings, the large earrings, and thehighest heels allfuse together to

create afantastic illusion. I chose to viewthis transformation as an

extreme act ofdecoration.

I wanted glamour, elegance, power and sex appeal. Atthe photo

shoot, the subject was consumed bythe character,

"she"

done this before. Her housewasthe perfect_setting because itwas

furnishedwith antiques encrustedwith _{cherubs, gaudycandelabras,}

gilded mirrors and damaskcoveredfurniture finishedoffwith fringed

piping. _Embellishing thephotograph with thousands of red sequins gave a

resplendenteffect and provided thesubject withthe attention she

demanded. I used a swagged _{drapery treatment,} in red _{satin, that}puddled

to the_floor, and I accented this with gold cherubstofinalize theseductive

and glamorous starlettheme.

I achieved thetheatrical drama I was _looking for _Especiallywhen I

litthe piece with a single spotlight . Iwanted to capturethat old Hollywood

glamour effect One of_{my favorite} aspects ofthis piece wasthe

patterningcreated _bythe thousands of sequinsthatsurrounded the

image. Thiswas a result of_laying thesequin side_by side. _{This patterning}

was reminiscent ofthe mosaic_qualityofJoyce Kozloffstile and grout

works

SHOWGIRL

Myfeelingstoward "Showgirl"were _{slightly different}than the

"Marilyn"

piece because I hadread an _inspiring article on Havana's

showgirls. Ahighlight ofthe articledescribed an _evening atthefamous

Tropicana Night Club: " When theTropicana is going full tilt, it's a feverish

spectacle, too much fortheeyeto take inall at once

Caribbean Carnival exuberance, erotic _{suggestiveness,} balletic grace,

Afro- _Caribbean

rhythm, and _bring

-down

-the house _Broadway excess

and professionalism"

( Francisco , Goldman 1993. "Caribbean

Rhythm"

Harper's Bazaar ₎ I was so_{fueled bythe article, that I}wantedto embrace

some ofthat_{exciting energy} forthe"Showgirl"

piece.

Anothersource of inspiration for"Showgirl"

wastheworkofJane

Kaufman . When I sawher curtains and screens made of pearls

, gold

wire , glass beads , andfeathers, I immediately thoughtof showgirl

costumes Kaufman's workis luxurious and sensuous , the same qualities

I was _{looking for in my}work " Showgirl " possessed a _sensualitythat

compelled the viewerto touch it and even a desireto wearit I can relate

tothese feelingsas I feltthe same_way about Kaufman'swork

The_familiaritytheaudiencefeelswith showgirlsfunctions asa

door into a newexperience. _Initially, the viewerdoes not _identifythe

subjectas a _drag queen, but is seduced _bythe_sensuality ofthe feathers

and pearls. The viewerenjoys the piecefor its decorative _beauty and _may

imagine themselveswith the head-dresson. Then theviewer steps closer

to examine the photographsand seesthe character isa _drag queen. For

many people, this image is incongruentwith the image of showgirlsthey

had in theirhead and will cause _{them, hopefully,} to re-examine their

thinking. _Myhope isthat _during that transition of_{thought, they}can

remembertheenjoyment_they had felta moment ago and come a _step

closer_{to understanding this lifestyle} unfamiliarto them.

GUAYABERA

Guayabera functionson two different levels forme. On the one

hand, it is a personal statement about machismo. The shirt is embellished

with _{sequins, spangles,} andfeathers to camouflage and distort the

masculine powerthat it exudes. Onthe other_hand, it stands _proudlyas a

vernacular_{tribute to my heritage}

As my Guayabera underwent it'stransformation fromstore - bought

item toart_object, and as I researched itsorigins, my initialfeeling began

to shift, adding even more meaning. The resplendent_qualityofthe

sequins, combinedwith the image ofthe Cuban _flag, and a patriotic

theme, gavetheshirt a senseof pride and elegance. It took on a deeper

significance as an homage to _{my homeland}and to all Hispanics.

My inspirationforthis piece was" La Bicicleta

"

by Pepon Osorio

He decorated a bicyclewith _{ribbon, flowers, beads, tassels,} and plastic

kewpie dolls "La Bicicleta "served as a tribute toPuerto Rican street

vendors whose bicycleswere always embellished with _{objects, giving}

childhood memories ofthe artist "Gauyabera" sharesa similar purpose

forme.

"Guayabera"

was part of an exhibition at El Museo del Barrio in

NewYork_City, titled " _Recovering Popular Culture" In an _essaywritten

fortheshow _catalog there are afew items that validate _{my intentions} with

this piece. Theauthor writes that _mywork"questions inherited cultural

ideas and icons" Shegoes on to_saythat thework "proposes the

realization that culturaltraditions need not bestatic and rigid but rather a

vehicleforchange and transformation". ₍ Escalante , Nellie. El Museo del

Barrio , "Recovering Popular

Culture"

, !994 )

QUINCEANERA

A Quinces is an elaborate celebrationthat marksthe _coming of age

forHispanicgirls. Thisevent takes place on theirfifteenthbirthday, and

the girl is known asthe Quinceanera. This isa _strong tradition_verymuch

alive _today as it was when Iwas _growing up. In some Hispanic_cultures,

there is a religious significanceto this rite ofpassage, but all the Quinces'

I ever attended were _purelyfestive . An art criticdescribed my piece as

being " equal parts _lovingtributeand gaudy overstatement". This piece

definitely represents_my pride as Cuban

Iwanted tocreate an ambiancefor the viewerthrough

"Quinceanera". Itwas _{my intention to} allowtheviewertowalk around the entire installation . All thewhite lace,

pearls, rhinestones, and _tulle,

alongsidethe_flowers, the _lighting, andthe red carpettreatment setthe

moodfor_something pure and celebratory. Similarto thosefeelings you

can experienceat a _wedding

The center piece resembled a three _{tiered cake,} and itwas

covered with large amounts of glitz The _top tierwas a _crown, smothered

in rhinestone. Thesecond tierhad a pair of clear plastic high heelsthat

were _completelycoveredwith _rhinestones, aswell The bottom tierwas

held up by plasticfigurinesof men in tuxedos The shoes and the tuxedo men were representative ofthe Quinceafiera's _coming of age. _They symbolized her potential forcourtship.

The center _{piece, including}the _hoopdress, sat on a stagetrimmed

in_tiny white lights. Itwas like a tabernacle on an altar . The conceptfor

the execution ofthis piecewas _heavily influenced _bythe workofThomas Lanigan-Schimdt I admired an installation _by him titled ,

"

Two Seconds

Before the End ofthe World "

Thiswas a mixed media piece decorated

with plastic_{flowers, foil,} glitter, and lights Iwas _specificallyattractedto

the overall aesthetic_qualityofthat installation .

Confronting my sexual orientation and religious beliefs make _up

my artistic expression . Catholicism, gender roles, fantasy, and decoration

are all influencesthatatdifferent levels have had an impact on_{the way} I

view _society andtheworld, hence the_{way I livemy} life This _bodyof

work,

"

Lentejuelas _", which means sequins in Spanish , representsthe

glitz and the celebrationthat I associatewith the_gay and latin culture

1a. Marilyn

c

(0

2a. Showgirl

2b. Showgirl (detail view)

3a. Guayabera (front view)

3 b Guayabera (back _view)

ro

0)

IC

ro

o

o

c

3

O

ro

4 b Quinceanera

4c. Quinceanera (detail _view)

V* LNl)\}ZIA<>9

t

_#

Mjiyvw

;o ii

coiorpndtograpn. _sequins, cheab? -a in

_ _ _

SKou^irL

;qmns

g/l<?M^i>.

#LeAtfe.)ueAS

GuayttWiL

of_centerpiece)

is, sp

s, be

aph, 'ers,

GMdy*>er<L

ice,

E.Vicenle. AW^'iei.

F-Vicente MdU"*rtye*

Slide List

1.Marilyn 24"

x48 " color_{photograph, sequins,cherubs,} satin

2. Marilyn _(detail)

3. Showgirl 60"

x 132" color_{photograph, sequins, pearls, rhinestones,} feathers

4. Showgirl _(detail)

5. Guayabera (front_view) 24"x36"

sequins, spangles

6. Guayabera (back_{view) sequins, beads,}pom_poms, feathers

7. Quinceanera72"

x60"x 132" color_{photograph, sequins, pearls, rhinestones, lace,}

tulle, silk_flowers,plastic_figures,lights

8. Quinceanera(detailof_centerpiece)