Delta Chapter in the News
October 2001

Urban life comes to Seton Hall

News Archive VOL. 77, NO. 8
by Leilani Rangel
Special to the Setonian

At first glance, his magical fantasy world appears to be a set from Disney's "Toy Story." Yet peering beyond the colorful scenery and cartoon-ish figurines, Orlando Cuevas' creations portray realistic representations of urban life.

"The Hocus Pocus with an Urban Focus Exhibit," which features pop artist Cuevas' recent works, explores his personal experience growing up in and around the New York/ New Jersey Metropolitan Area.

The Spanish Harlem native moved to Jersey City at the age of 7.

"As a teen-ager in Jersey City, you spent half your life in New York City," said Cuevas, who described himself as an inner city kid with a fascination with museums.

It was on one of his trips to the Guggenheim Museum that Cuevas first encountered the works of Edward Kienholz, a somewhat obscure pop artist whose work impassioned his own artistic interpretation.

Best known for his "architectural imagery of urban life," Cuevas often makes the backgrounds the subject of his work.

"I'm excited by the interior and exterior more than the figures," he said.

"The toys are more of an aside for me."

Yet in one year alone, he created more than 200 toys and later felt that they needed a background in which they could interact.

The artist explained that his figures were merely variables, which he interchanged with every display at exhibitions.

The most dominant aspect of the exhibit is "Out of the Dollhouse," a 24-foot, multi-media composition made of three 8-foot segments that, when arranged together, show the urban transition from childhood to adult life via society's institutions.

Approximately 40 characters crowd the set. Cuevas emphasizes diversity. None of his characters are duplicated.

Yet, he stated their interactions categorize them in terms of their respective roles in his "paradigm of urban society."

Among these typecasts are the accusers, who point their finger, the beggars, who hold out their hand, and the greeters, who wave in a gesture of welcome.

The exhibit was co-sponsored by Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

"We felt the need to do something for Latinos and others so that they could take a peek into our culture and the different talents we have," said Alba Ramirez, president of the sorority.

More so than a member of the Latino community, Cuevas defines himself as a "world citizen," stating the Latin experience comprises only a subset of urban life. According to Cuevas, the reality of urban life is universality, a clashing of cultures, creeds and personalities.

It's this phenomenon that makes his fantasy world come to life.