Series: Examining Humanity and Machines with Rigo Art Peralta

Born in San Josè de las Matas, in the Dominican Republic, he later settled in Brooklyn, New York, in 1989. These dichotomous cultures have inspired Peralta’s work, which blends cultural diversity into a visual language that links his Caribbean past to his urban present.

In 2012, Peralta decided to open his first solo gallery/studio, “Rigo Peralta Art Studio,” in Allentown, PA, one block from his home, declaring: “My children grew up in this community and the community has given us so much, it’s time to give back!” In recent years, he has organized a variety of free exhibitions and installations for his community, featuring artists from around the world as well as his own creations.

This work is like a kind of metamorphic goddess born from the roots of our ancestors. A small transformation takes place as her skin begins to come to life and becomes the heart of the banana.

“My artwork represents the push and pull between humanity and machines. I express this complex relationship through textures and brushstrokes in human anatomy interlocked with mechanisms of gears and wheels. I mix a rich palette of paints drawn from my ancestral Latin traditions to offer a panorama of compositions where the classical meets the abstract.”

“This artistic approach is unpredictable and gives me the chance to discover hidden anatomical forms, as if a ghost were emerging from nothingness on the canvas. I then work on combining the mechanical forms as part of an organic transition. I call this final product conditioned surrealism. It is an awakening of the subconscious that invites you to explore a series of hidden elements on the canvas, which may change your perception with each viewing. My hope is that the viewer becomes part of the stories on the canvas in my creations!”