El Barrio Dreams: A New Day Revealed

Sam Orlandi was born and raised in Puerto Rico, a recalcitrant child of the oldest colony in the world. From a very early age he was keenly aware of the incongruous realities of his surroundings. By birth, a U.S. citizen; yet he was raised speaking Spanish as his first language. Having to constantly reconcile his Puerto Rican roots and identity as a child, and with his eventual branching out to American culture as an adolescent, he grew up with one foot on an island and another on a continent. As a young artist he was greatly influenced by language and folk art, his early work invariably created in Spanish. At the age of 14, he exhibited his work at the “8vo Salón de Humoristas” in San Juan, PR; that same year becoming the youngest artist to exhibit work at the “Museo de Arte de Ponce”, PR. Later, as he grew and evolved, his work became increasingly envisioned and created in English. At the age of 17, he moved to the United States and attended Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas; and it was there that he first experienced the stinging reality of culture shock. He graduated from TCU with a BFA degree, majoring in Sculpture. However, his appreciation for all mediums led him to prefer the freedom and versatility of rendering his work in mixed medium, on panel as well as on paper, and which includes collage; drawing; painting; and language art, along with various sculptural elements. Preferring to use common, everyday items such as junk mail; food packaging; game pieces; discarded notes; and repurposed items; he finds joy at surreptitiously playing a small part in saving the environment while, conversely, ennobling what would otherwise be considered “trash”. The artwork incorporates the liberal use of Spanish and English, as well as “Spanglish”, another representation of his bilingual and adaptive nature. The narrative component of the work is expressed symbolically, quite often by subtly introducing hidden wordplay messages. The depth is inherent in the use of multiple layers of images, words, and materials, as well as in the overlays of varnished paint, all of which are often partially veiled in a flowing gauze. There is a distinct dreamlike and surreal quality to the work, a magical journey through interior spaces that offer a glimpse into the workings of the artist's mind, a mirror of his subconscious world, poignantly reflecting moments of prescient self-awareness. Lately, his focus has been on current issues regarding human nature, heritage, migration, motivation, materialism, and spirituality. He lives and creates in East Harlem, NYC.

Sam Orlandi may be contacted at:

samorlandi.artist@gmail.com       

December 5th, 2018 - January 12th, 2019 Aguilar Library