An Artistic Conversation with Rodríguez Calero

Photo Credit: James Cuebas

Rodríguez Calero, affectionately known as “RoCa”,  is a Puerto Rican Visual Artist, Painter, Collagist, and Photographer who studied under many notable Puerto Rican Artists at the Instituto de Cultura, Escuela de Artes Plasticas. Her mentor and dear friend Master Artist and Printmaker, Lorenzo Homar, has been the main influence in her approach to developing her work ethic and signature style in painting, which she termed acrollage, a transcending evolution of a mixed media combination of acrylic paint, paper, and a form of printmaking.

Roca continued her studies at the Art Students League of New York and focused on painting and collage under Master Artist Leo Manso and held a National Endowment for the Arts residency at Taller Boricua, which was located above El Museo, with fellow artists Marcos Dimas, Gilberto Hernandez, Nestor Otero, Jose Rodriguez, Fernando Salicrup, Jorge Soto and Manny Vega.

Rodríguez Calero has received residencies from The New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, and others include Jerome Foundation Scholarship, Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, NY, (1981-1982), Taller Boricua (1980-1982); Provincetown Art Association, MA (1985 -1986), Galeria Bonaire, Puerto Rico (1987-1988), Kenkeleba House, NY (1989-1990), Brandywine Workshop Center for the Visual Arts, PA (1999), and Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper, NJ (2000).

Her painting has been acknowledged by The New York Institute of Puerto Rico with the Honorary Artist of the Year Award; the Brooklyn Arts and Culture Association Painting Award held at the Brooklyn Museum, and by The National Association of Women Artists, she was given the Belle Cramer Memorial Prize for Abstract Painting Medal of and the Audrey Hope Award. 

In addition to these accolades, Rodríguez Calero has received fellowships from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation (1999), the New York Foundation for the Arts (2000), and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (2000 and 2002)

In 2004 Liquitex developers of acrylic paint and mediums, chose her as an Artist of the Month, and in 2005 valued her to represent, both Nationally and Internationally, The Liquitex Company in celebration of their 50th Anniversary. 

In 2006, she was featured in New Jersey Networks Public Television State of the Arts Series, “Sign of the Times,” 2008-2009; she received the prestigious Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant in painting. RoCa was an invited guest artist in 2009 to participate in an international exchange to create art pieces relating to the ancient gardens in Suzhou, China, and in 2010 she was a finalist in Photographer’s Forum and was placed in their Best of Photography 2010 edition.

In 2015 her survey exhibit, Rodriguez Calero | Urban Martyrs and Latter Day Santos, curated by Alejandro Anreus at El Museo del Barrio, New York, was highly received and reviewed and was given an honorable mention by Hyperallergic of the 20 best NYC exhibits. Her works are in many private and public collections. I had the honor and pleasure of asking Roca about what exhibit she has seen of another artist that has had an impact on her, how she envisions herself as a person of art, what about art challenges her the most, and so much more.

UZOMAH: You have worked under the tutelage of many great master artists. What has each artist taught you that has enhanced your work as an artist?

ROCA: To be insatiable, passionate, and uncompromising regarding one’s work.

U: What is the last exhibit you have seen by another artist that made you appreciate art?

R: “Faith Ringgold: American People” is a testament to the complexity of her life, struggles, self-awareness, and convictions.

U: How do you envision yourself as a person of art?

R:   I Envision myself as one who is subtle in manifesting provocative ideas.

U: Why is art so appealing to all regardless of age, race, and gender?

R: Art is not judgmental and permits understanding that unifies, inspires, and influences humanity. Art is pivotal and speaks volumes in changing the world, and changing the way people feel and think not only about themselves but the problems of the world at large.

U: What do you do in terms of preparing materials for your projects?

R: Frame of mind is more important than the physical materials. My mental state is best when I allow myself to be impulsive and act on instinct. This openness permits a fluidity in choosing the material which is best suited to achieve the visual image.

DeMoiselle_@2021_ Collage on archival paper_7 1/2” x 9 1/2"

U: What do you hope people see in your work and understand about your artistic statement?

R: That we are connected to the universal spirit, thru self-reflection, acceptance, and celebrating similarities and differences in one’s origin.

La Masacre de Mayo_@2021_ Collage on archival paper_7 1/2” x 9 1/2"

U: Can you explain the process of making collages to someone who has never heard of it or is not familiar with it but has admiration for the style and medium?

R: The basic definition for collage is “the art of sticking various materials such as photographs and pieces of paper or fabric onto a backing.” Like anything creating is personal, and if committed to the process, collage can take you on an evolutionary journey of development.

U: What is the most challenging part of being an artist, and why?

R: Vulnerability is the most challenging part of being an artist. It ensures a commitment to fully experience and embrace those moments of creativity and make ideas flourish.

U: What is the most significant benefit of being an artist?

R: The knowledge that one’s creative perspective, can inspire, make a difference, influence, and have an emotional connection with another person is rewarding.

Deposición de Cristo_@2021_ Collage on archival paper_9 1/2” x 7 1/2”

U: How do you choose specific images to reveal the symbolism of the emotions you convey in your artwork?

R: Mixed with immediate issues that need to be addressed and thru visual and subliminal perception, mutual consent unfolds in the selection of a specific image.

U: How has art helped you find a voice and a sense of self?

R: Art has given me a place of sanctuary, that safe place of non-judgmental acceptance and filtering.

U: Please expound on your love of the art.

R: Art is the connecting structure and universal language, that transcends the spoken and written.

For more information about RoCa’s art, please visit Rodriquez Calero art.