Ray Azcuy
Artist Statement

 

Investigating Freedom

The genesis of this production embodies the conceptual framework of freedom, its definition and its re-interpretation in a series of wall installations and assemblages. Familiar icons and materials employed in the fabrication focus attention on issues central in the dialogue; necessity versus commodity; earned freedom versus birth right; choice versus mandate.

Issues of democracy and human rights are coupled here with the visual language of popular culture, commercial and domestic objects. At once so familiar and commonplace, these objects can be used to interpret, define and reconsider freedom. The layer of symbolism embedded in the objects creates a rich source of cultural, social and political connections.

The use of popular symbolism, manipulated and integrated in a series of freedom vehicles, offers the viewer a visual journey of both increased self-awareness and eventual discovery.

 

 

Ray Azcuy
Artist Statement

 

Iconography of the Everyday

“Iconography of the Everyday is a body of work investigating popular culture in America and the belief that art imitates life. Through a use of familiar icons and materials, the work brings focus to the role of the individual, common events and daily rituals as they interrelate with a play of everyday symbols. Both humor and satire in the work are a celebration of our day-to-day journey in the home, at the work place and during leisure hours. Through a manipulation of popular symbolism, the work creates a series of urbanscapes that originate from life in the twenty first century.”