Philadelphia Antiques Show 2018

55 Jill McDonough, “Crushing out on Roberto Lugo,” Take Magazine , June 2016, https://www.wexlergallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Kilnfolk.June16.Mcdonough.Lugo_.pdf. 56 Agro, “Revival & Relevance,” 182. 57 Essner, “One Teapot at a Time,” Modern Magazine. 58 Glen R. Brown, “Roberto Lugo: Undermining Indifference,” C eramics Monthly , August 4, 2017, https://ceramicartsnetwork.org/ceramics-monthly/ceramic-art-and-artists/ceramic-artists/roberto-lugo-undermining-indifference/#. opposite Franklin’s image. The phrase “To All the Killas and the Hundred Dollar Billas,” is written around his head, while “Ain’t No Such Thing as Halfway Crooks,” appears beneath his image. Both phrases are lyrics from Mobb Deep’s song “Shook Ones, Part II.” These lyrics, as well as those on the other side of the vase, unify the work around themes of money, history, violence, and success. They also play with popular conceptions of economically impoverished neighborhoods, like Philadelphia’s Kensington, where Lugo spent his formative years. Lugo’s roots in Kensington play an important part in his practice. He refers to himself as a “ghetto potter,” stating that “the word ‘ghetto’ can be negative, but I equate ‘ghetto’ with resourceful,’” a definition echoed in his choice of lyrics for the vase. 55 This piece is rife with references and dual meanings, including patterns lifted from a favorite brand of iced tea and its figurative animal handles. Replacing the bison handles of Müller’s century vase, Lugo uses instead a ram, a traditional symbol of virility, and a crowned panda, a reference to Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988), to notions of black and white, and to the artist’s own struggles with obesity. 56 The crown and panda had their roots in Lugo’s earliest artistic production as teenage graffiti artist “Robske.” Borrowing approaches from older cousins, Lugo learned artistic techniques of line, perspective, and color, sensibilities that continue to shape his production and technique in his current medium of porcelain. Lugo’s positioning of his own portrait and that of Franklin is a reference to their shared experience of living in Philadelphia, but pri- marily functions as an effort to bring them both into an imagined conversation. This is an established trope in his work, where Lugo frequently uses the proximity of images of cultural, historical, and political figures, as well as his own self portrait, to begin dialogues. He states that, “I’ll put something that represents ‘them’ [e.g., a his- torical or cultural figure], and then I’ll put my face on it, with the idea that I’d literally like to sit down with [my work] for a cup of tea with them.” 57 Lugo destabilizes familiar cultural touchstones like Benja- min Franklin and monumental ceramic forms to incorporate his own experiences and those of communities of color as a recognizable part of American history. Making empathetic connections is a larger goal of his socially conscious and conscience raising artistic practice. 58 All about the Benjamins draws attention to the absences that litter both the historical record and museum representation by interjecting new voices to both. Lugo successfully infuses historical tradition with modern sensibility, using his artistic and technical prowess to craft a more inclusive vision of history. The Museum was the first major art institution to acquire Lugo’s work in 2016. This vase is an important addition to the collection, adding new voices to the story we can tell of Philadelphia. Additionally, a Philadelphia museum’s holdings can never include too many representations of Ben Franklin! **************************************** New acquisitions to the Philadelphia Museum of Art build on existing collections, refining, enhancing, and linking works of art purchased by or given to the Museum in the past to new directions and currents of study. The acquisition of new works occasions a look at established collections with fresh eyes, instigating discoveries and drawing connections between previously disparate pieces. These opportunities for reflecting upon the Museum’s holdings are especially useful as we prepare for the reinstallation of the galleries of early American art, which will open in 2020. Though its immediate focus will be on works made before the mid-nineteenth century, the reinstallation offers the opportunity to reconsider the presentation of American art, and will allow us to use the collections to bring out new voices and stories and to raise questions about what could or should be considered American art. Art made in Philadelphia, always a central part of the Museum’s collecting interests, will form the core of the new American art galleries. Fresh off of such recent civic successes as the Papal visit and World Meeting of Families in 2015, the 2016 Democratic National Convention, and, of course, the festivities celebrating the newly minted World Champion Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia is poised for a moment on the world stage. There is no better time to celebrate the similarly dynamic work of our city’s contemporary artists, while recognizing the depth and richness of the artistic tradition that has existed in this region for hundreds of years. The Philadelphia Museum of Art Credit: Graydon Wood W 131 W