La pérdida cultural de Puerto Rico
From El Diario/LA PRENSA OnLine Thursday, December 7, 2006. This is a reprint of an article written by Luis R. Cancel, the former Commissioner of the NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs and presently Executive Director of the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural Center in New York.
This is an important article that demonstrates how important it is for us to know, protect, preserve and promote our cultural heritage. Although Puerto Rico is a colony of the United States we have also developed (against much adversity) our own culture and it is incumbent upon us to protect it at all costs and to teach our children that we have a legacy to preserve.
What follows is the English version of an article by Luis Cancel and published in Spanish in El Diario/La Prensa Spanish daily here in NY.
Puerto Rico’s Cultural Loss
By Luis R. Cancel
News stories can sometimes take on a significance that resonates far beyond their immediate tragic circumstances. That is the case with the news this past week that a fire had consumed the home of the distinguished Puerto Rican artist Antonio Martorell.
The police report that three adolescents had climbed a fence and entered the campus of the University of Puerto Rico in Cayey and subsequently invaded the home of the artist who was in New York at the time. The youths, who ignored dozens of works of art by many of Puerto Rico’s greatest 20th century artists, proceeded to trash the place, seeking consumer items of transient value (cameras, TV’s, sound equipment) and on a whim, decided to burn the home down – using an accelerant, according to the arson investigators, a calculated act of destruction.
Martorell’s historic role as the bridge between an earlier generation of artistic giants (Lorenzo Homar, Rafael Tufiño) and the contemporary artists of today, meant that his home was the repository for unique works and memorabilia that captured a rich history of the Puerto Rican visual arts. Hundreds of drawings, prints, letters, photographs, folk masks and paintings were consumed by the flames – Martorell had carefully preserved all of this material in anticipation of a gift to the University museum and archive. The loss to Puerto Rican art history is incalculable.
Upon hearing this news I was immediately struck by the realization that only Puerto Ricans can destroy Puerto Rican culture. The teens’ lack of recognition for the sacred ground they had entered and their disdain for that space was symptomatic of their parent’s, and the broader Puerto Rican society’s neglect of Puerto Rican art.
How many Puerto Rican adults, either on the island or in the US knows the name of Antonio Martorell? How many would have seen his work? His extensive production, over more than forty years, has included paintings, prints and multi-media installations, have entered many museums and private collections both on the island and beyond, but this is not broadly known by the vast majority of Puerto Ricans.
One can argue that Puerto Ricans are not unique in their ignorance and appreciation of their visual artists – how many Americans could point to and name a painting by Andrew Wythe or Edward Hooper? This lack of informed cultural reference can be attributed to the conflict between mass culture and erudite culture, the former relies on its ally mass media while the latter depends on individual initiative. Nevertheless, it is incumbent on individuals to press their political and educational leaders and institutions to give importance to cultural education and insist that basic instruction in art history is included as part of a well rounded education.
Speaking about Puerto Rican society specifically, it is my opinion that there is insufficient interest in the visual arts to sustain it over the long-term. There is presently no critical mass of collectors willing to purchase and invest in the works produced by the artists of their community, there are not enough venues to exhibit this work and bring it to the public and there is little to no effort by educators to integrate Puerto Rican art history into the core curriculum that will shape the next generation.
The fire in Cayey should be viewed as a warning to all who care about Puerto Rican art and culture – wake up and get involved in efforts to support it or you will lose it, it will be gone with the next generation that can stand in its midst and not recognize it.
Only Puerto Ricans can destroy Puerto Rican culture, by doing nothing to support it, neglecting it and expecting someone else to take the first step. It therefore must be Puerto Ricans, who lead the effort to save it, appreciate it and instruct their children on its importance and value. Martorell has vowed to incorporate the ashes from this fire in the creation of a new work of art. Let his example serve as an inspiration to use this tragic incident as a rallying point for a renewed effort to recognize and preserve Puerto Rican art.
This is an important article that demonstrates how important it is for us to know, protect, preserve and promote our cultural heritage. Although Puerto Rico is a colony of the United States we have also developed (against much adversity) our own culture and it is incumbent upon us to protect it at all costs and to teach our children that we have a legacy to preserve.
What follows is the English version of an article by Luis Cancel and published in Spanish in El Diario/La Prensa Spanish daily here in NY.
Puerto Rico’s Cultural Loss
By Luis R. Cancel
News stories can sometimes take on a significance that resonates far beyond their immediate tragic circumstances. That is the case with the news this past week that a fire had consumed the home of the distinguished Puerto Rican artist Antonio Martorell.
The police report that three adolescents had climbed a fence and entered the campus of the University of Puerto Rico in Cayey and subsequently invaded the home of the artist who was in New York at the time. The youths, who ignored dozens of works of art by many of Puerto Rico’s greatest 20th century artists, proceeded to trash the place, seeking consumer items of transient value (cameras, TV’s, sound equipment) and on a whim, decided to burn the home down – using an accelerant, according to the arson investigators, a calculated act of destruction.
Martorell’s historic role as the bridge between an earlier generation of artistic giants (Lorenzo Homar, Rafael Tufiño) and the contemporary artists of today, meant that his home was the repository for unique works and memorabilia that captured a rich history of the Puerto Rican visual arts. Hundreds of drawings, prints, letters, photographs, folk masks and paintings were consumed by the flames – Martorell had carefully preserved all of this material in anticipation of a gift to the University museum and archive. The loss to Puerto Rican art history is incalculable.
Upon hearing this news I was immediately struck by the realization that only Puerto Ricans can destroy Puerto Rican culture. The teens’ lack of recognition for the sacred ground they had entered and their disdain for that space was symptomatic of their parent’s, and the broader Puerto Rican society’s neglect of Puerto Rican art.
How many Puerto Rican adults, either on the island or in the US knows the name of Antonio Martorell? How many would have seen his work? His extensive production, over more than forty years, has included paintings, prints and multi-media installations, have entered many museums and private collections both on the island and beyond, but this is not broadly known by the vast majority of Puerto Ricans.
One can argue that Puerto Ricans are not unique in their ignorance and appreciation of their visual artists – how many Americans could point to and name a painting by Andrew Wythe or Edward Hooper? This lack of informed cultural reference can be attributed to the conflict between mass culture and erudite culture, the former relies on its ally mass media while the latter depends on individual initiative. Nevertheless, it is incumbent on individuals to press their political and educational leaders and institutions to give importance to cultural education and insist that basic instruction in art history is included as part of a well rounded education.
Speaking about Puerto Rican society specifically, it is my opinion that there is insufficient interest in the visual arts to sustain it over the long-term. There is presently no critical mass of collectors willing to purchase and invest in the works produced by the artists of their community, there are not enough venues to exhibit this work and bring it to the public and there is little to no effort by educators to integrate Puerto Rican art history into the core curriculum that will shape the next generation.
The fire in Cayey should be viewed as a warning to all who care about Puerto Rican art and culture – wake up and get involved in efforts to support it or you will lose it, it will be gone with the next generation that can stand in its midst and not recognize it.
Only Puerto Ricans can destroy Puerto Rican culture, by doing nothing to support it, neglecting it and expecting someone else to take the first step. It therefore must be Puerto Ricans, who lead the effort to save it, appreciate it and instruct their children on its importance and value. Martorell has vowed to incorporate the ashes from this fire in the creation of a new work of art. Let his example serve as an inspiration to use this tragic incident as a rallying point for a renewed effort to recognize and preserve Puerto Rican art.
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