"Motel Rooms" (Colonial Comfort) Curated Show, St Croix, V.I. Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts 9/2014

"Motel Rooms" (Colonial Comfort)
Curated Show, Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts, St Croix, V.I., 9/2014 

Artist’s statement:
Among all colonized cultures there is a strange resemblance with sex and politics. The more conservative the culture is, the more sex is taboo. Lust and fetishism are hidden under the skirt of intimacy. The lusty behavior and thoughts are often repressed. In a hidden spot or a secret place or in a certain hour with a certain light there is a precise moment in which those feeling are released. Sometimes sex is good, sometimes it turns violent. Everything depends on how spectacular the environment is. If it looks good and comfortable, if everything is well designed, at least 75% of the conditional approval is reached.

A lot has been written about the use of sex as a weapon or as a way of control in conservative spheres of society in which sex becomes violent. Also, the oppressor assumes violence a price to pay in order to reach some kind of comfort, to experience something new, and reach the expected climax. Usually, that is the rule, and it always ends on depression under the oppression.

In the “Motel Rooms” series, the motel room is as metaphor for a colonized environment. The relationship between “love” and “lust” (the bed and the “Love Machine”) resemble the relationship of a good colony and the empire. In the Caribbean there are great colonies (not going to mention any). Much of them look like paradise. Palm trees and beautiful beaches, great weather, nice people, superb food are a few of the details that persuade us to think, that we have reached 75% of the conditional approval. We are comfortable enough.

But the price we pay for that comfort is represented by the “Love Machine”. Totally awkward and at the same time familiar. Its analytical and obstetric design makes it clear, that you have to work in order to reach pleasure. And the pleasure is not guaranteed, as the lack of practice, courage and experience won’t let you easily reach a climax in such a mechanical environment. But there is no time for practice - the “Love Machine” cannot always be conquered.

You just want to fulfill a desire. But when you think you’re close to your goal, the “Love Machine” turns out to be too uncomfortable. That is when depression arises and oppression begins. Violently, guilt turns into weakness.  A quick end. That sums up, what the remaining 25% of our debate consist of: politics.

At the end we abandon the “Love Machine”, turn to the bed, and dream with geishas and zebras.

Blancus (2014) At Art Lab Gallery Santurce, Puerto Rico

BLANCUS
 
Porque el blanco puede ser ofensivo y espeluznante. Porque lo que uno ve no es lo que es. Y porque el control de la percepción puede ser un acto sádico divertido. Este trabajo propone un ejercicio individual sobre las premisas que anteceden esta oración. Las imágenes expuestas tiene que ver con la provocación que este complejo color puede ocultar con la falsa percepción que se le ha impuesto.
Durante mucho tiempo las múltiples trastadas y secretos del blanco han tratado se ser ocultados con estigmas y características de pureza y limpieza. Dentro de la ciencia de la fotografía y de la luz, el blanco se forma con la suma de todos los colores de manera ecuánime. El arco iris es la manifestación de la naturaleza que nos deja saber que la luz blanca está compuesta por todos los colores. De esta manera es que la luz blanca se dobla para dejar ver su refajo policromático.
Hoy seré recatado y no presento ese colorido refajo. Tampoco pretendo presentar un dibujo explicativo científico sobre la naturaleza de la luz ni de cómo la fotografía funciona . Solo presentaré seres que convergen y copulan no en la oscuridad si no en sus blancuras.
Porque la luz, además de revelar, puede esconder. Ella es cómplice de esta trastada de la naturaleza y la fotografía es mi arma. Una tan sádica como la otra.
Herminio Rodríguez, 2014