Ex Libris: La Vida
Ex Libris: La Vida
Cruz Moves to a Housing Project
La Vida, by Oscar Lewis, is a study of Puerto Rican poverty in San Juan, Puerto Rico and New York. The sub-title, a chapter heading in the book, refers to the move a family makes, at the urging of a social worker, from a slum dwelling to a housing project, the caserío in Villa Hermosa. The mother talks about how much worse it is for her in the caserío. Housing projects the world over are notorious for being incubators of social unrest, ongoing poverty and crime. A trap, a prison, a dead end. Dios mio! Get me out of here!
Materials: book (La Vida, Oscar Lewis), mirror, padlocks, judas, plastic lens, found objects, plywood, stain, brass hardware, lamp.
Book Dimensions: 5.6 x 23.75 x 15.6cm / 9.5 x 6.25 x 2.25in
Full installation: 120 x 75 x 30cm / 48 x 30 x 12in
In these works the original text has been removed and preserved under Plexiglas. Each book then becomes a container and the remaining text becomes context for a visual daydream. The interior is viewed through a judas in the spine of the book.