ensayo de Kevin Freitas en relación al show New Contemporaries: Emerging Artists nominated for the 2009 SD Art Prize.
los 13 artistas nominados son: David Adey, Tania Alcala, Michele Guieu, Keikichi Honna, Omar Pimienta, Daniel Ruanova, Marisol Rendon, Tara Smith, Matt Stallings, K.V. Tomney, Jen Trute, Gustabo Velasquez, Yuransky esto es lo que dice de mi pieza.

gracias Kevin!


"Omar Pimienta as I mentioned in the beginning, could be the dark horse in this year’s NC2. I’m not sure you would immediately understand what Pimienta is up to, after seeing 12 identical scaled down replicas of the Statue of Liberty standing on a Pre-Columbian pyramid arranged neatly in the back of the gallery. But a video to the left of the installation is a crucial element to its comprehension as well as its subtle yet biting commentary. There’s an irony to be found in such expressions of liberty from a French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi, designer of the Statue of Liberty, and Tijuana-San Diego artist Pimienta, creator of “Lady of Libertad” that might have its origins in France’s own motto: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (a creed based on Napoleonic Code in accordance with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen). More importantly, what do these words mean: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity and how do you go about assuring every man, woman and child obtains those inalienable rights. Isn’t this why people flee oppressive doctrines or governments and seek out the new world or land whatever the case may be? Bartholdi imagined this possibility, world citizens I suppose from different cultures, laws, and traditions living harmoniously together; he even conceived and produced a “sketch of a Pre-Columbian pedestal for the statue’s base” in accordance to his vision of equality.


What then would inspire another artist in some bizarre six degrees of separation, to cast and replicate Bartholdi’s original drawing into actual statues, if it wasn’t to document and bring to our attention, a forgotten but no less tumultuous frontier that isn’t as friendly or welcoming perhaps to the huddled masses as is its Atlantic friend? Pimienta’s statues are cleverly I believe, “to scale” of the level of expectation the people of Mexico have of ever hoping to flee its teeming shores and make a better life for themselves in America.


Watching Pimienta’s video you’ll soon discover another reason for the cast plaster statues. It is a satirical yet poignant look at the history of Colonia Libertad, a border crossing town between Mexico and San Diego. It is also the story of the Libertarians, a very small group of family owned businesses that cast and sell plaster replicas of Hollywood icons and Disney cartoon characters like Snow White and then sell them to American tourists. Once a very profitable business in the sixties, there has been a steady decline over the decades in the number of manufacturers, as well as the types of replicas being sold; recent immigration and border control laws certainly have had an effect on the industry’s bottom line and commercial appeal. The video is also part info-commercial done up in a style promoting Mexican tourism in Colonia Libertad as well as promoting the latest Libertarian best-seller, the “Lady of Libertad,” accompanied by a series of documentary photos of Pimienta’s sculptures photographed in the streets, on the sidewalk, and in front of shops.


There is a defining moment in the video when Pimienta videos the storefronts along what I assume is the main drag in Libertad, á la Edward Ruscha, making a direct reference to the iconic work, “Every Building on the Sunset Strip” – a once depressed boulevard of despair. Meanwhile, as the video draws to a close, we hear several voice-overs of someone reading Emma Lazarus’s poem “The New Colossus” and other various recitals about oppression, the first immigrants to America, quotes from Bartholdi, and the Declaration of Independence. We listen as the video films actual plaster characters being poured and then painted, interspersed with images Pimienta’s statue captured in a wide-angled view along the US/Mexican border. It took me a while to realize that Pimienta might also be criticizing the commercial aspect of most galleries and what passes for art these days, by hocking bad Tijuana replicas in a border town of rich American art lovers. I wonder - LOL. Pimienta is by far one of the most refreshing and interesting artists I’ve seen to date. I thank him for his insight and compelling fresh work.

imagenes del show new contemporaries II en Noel-Baza art gallery.

FOR SALE!

Pásenle! arrebaten, se van se van, se venden como pan caliente!!!
get yours from a border vendor near you!

UCSD open studio abril 4 08

esta foto es cortesía de Esteban Martinez, Aka: Esteban Martini