The UNPRECEDENTED Truth of Julia Rivera

Detour was all abuzz at the recent opening of “Unprecedented,” the show featuring artist, Julia Rivera, whose work is a rhapsody of social commentary. It speaks directly to people from all walks of life, persuasions and incomes, who flock toward the TRUTH these days, amid a zeitgeist of lies.

The inspiration for the work came in 2016, when the Women’s March convened. The show reflects truth and consequences - unapologetically retrofitted for women in the MeToo and Times UP Movements.

“The women’s movement included women from all around the world,” said Rivera, in her flavorful Latin accent. “I had to do something. My intention was not to earn money, but this was my way to express myself. Let’s make America smart again.”

Rivera tackles everything from women’s rights to climate change without sacrificing the elegance of feminine charm that is captivating. Some of the portraitures were reminiscent of women by the 17th Century artist, Johannes Vermeer. However, Rivera has transformed them into women of color in mixed media, adorned in gold leaf necklaces.

The 21st Century woman makes a bold political statement. Rivera uses vibrant hues and oversized headdresses that mimic the maps of America and Puerto Rico to give these ladies their voice. The artist, who was born in the Bronx (New York), but raised in Puerto Rico references that duality throughout the work.

“I’m curating a show in November in Miami (Florida) at Canvas Miami Gallery for women artists to open more opportunities for them,” said Rivera, who recognizes herself as an artist/activist.

However, it was the crowd’s reaction to the craning rustic pipe sculptures, in response to Rivera’s requiem on gun violence, racism and xenophobia, that was palpable. The climatic symphony of “oohs” and “ahhs,” was a clear indication that people were having an experience. The avantgarde meets utilitarian, is the genius of Rivera, who uses a chemical process to distress the pipes, which makes them even more novel and thought-provoking.

The artist, dressed in black lace for the festive occasion with matching fascinator hat, won the hearts of the revelers, once they read the titles of the work: I Think the NRA Got It Half Right When They Said: “Guns Don’t Kill People, People Kill People.” I’d change it to “Guns Don’t Kill People, Americans Kill People.” Meanwhile, the American public is being sold a bill of goods, BEWARE: of foreigners

Rivera’s art is timely and the price range - from $400 to $4,500 - makes it possible for you to pay homage to an au courant “must have” that artistically captures a moment in American history, much like Picasso’s Guernica, during the Spanish Civil War. Rivera’s work is the perfect gift for the person who has everything but could use a double expresso shot of cultural awareness.

“I started to feel like I can’t move in this country. I’m going to keep expressing what I feel. How can I be an artist and not reflect the times?” She asks.

Rivera, who migrated back to Puerto Rico when she was a youngster and was raised by a “strong” mother, is a nurturer at heart. And long before arriving on the art scene, Rivera followed her mother’s advice and secured a career that came with a built-in pay check.

“Thirty years ago, I was a surgical nurse in Puerto Rica,” she said. Today, Rivera’s work is known internationally. Surprising enough, it was her profession as a nurse that launched her as an artist, when she took out her coveted sketchpad and started to sketch the facial expressions of her patients. She did that for six years, along with her medical duties.

Until, one day she read an advertisement about a scholarship available for the right candidate to travel abroad to study art at Studio Arts College International (SACI) in Florence, Italy. After submitting her sketchpad of patient portraits, Rivera was chosen in 1995 to follow her passion to create art as a way of life.

When it comes to art as a livelihood, Rivera received a master’s degree in art restoration from SACI. She also studied sculpture at Ecole Des Beaux-Arts, School of Fine Arts, with a reputation that is par excellence. In a way you could say she’s still following her mother’s advice, because she’s in the business of preserving and restoring art worldwide, a delicate procedure that requires the best and renders a handsome paycheck.

Her work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York involves analyses and preservation. Rivera ensures that the painting, sculptures and objects in the museum, are kept in the best possible condition. She has worked in museums and art galleries from Puerto Rico to France and Italy.

“Conservation means to clean a piece of art,” said the Monmouth County resident, who approaches the work as a sacred experience. “The Italian way of restoration means you only fix what is bad (damaged) and you never touch the artist’s work.”

With her own work now front and center at Detour, Rivera’s resplendent collection of ceramic pieces, one dedicated to the great entertainer and humanitarian, Josephine Baker, decked out in her famous banana skirt, titled, “Banana Dance,” showcases her range as an artist.

Indeed, Rivera was the toast of the evening, as the cadre or art collectors and enthusiasts moved in waves through the gallery, where there’s room for everyone, amid discussion, networking, laughter, chatter and of course, wine.

Detour and Maison 10, in New York, where her work is also featured are also enjoying Rivera’s popularity. “Maison 10 is a shop in New York City that sells all kinds of merchandise,” said Detour registrar, Rune Egenes. “Everything from handbags and candles to fine art sculptures and paintings. We started working with them and we occasionally provide Maison 10 with artwork from Detour’s inventory. Julia is one of the cases we did that, and she has been one of the most successful artists both at Detour and Maison 10.”

The “Unprecedented” narrative of the show is that it speaks truth to power that appears to have run amuck in the nation. However, Rivera brilliantly harnesses the opposing forces with whimsy, as she points to the social ills plaguing America, without being offensive. And that would be her rendition of the “Tin Man,” from the classic film the “Wizard of Oz,” titled, I Think You Are Wrong to Want A Heart. It Makes Most People Unhappy. If You Only Knew You Are in Luck Not To Have A Heart. And at the base of the sculpture rests Tin Man’s heart.

“I love sculpture better than painting,” said Rivera. “It’s three dimensional. I feel 60 percent of Americans feel trapped in a pipe with half their head sticking out, thinking how do we get out of this hole? How can 40 percent (of the people) act like the Tin Man and only have a heart for money,” she continued.

The show runs until December 1, and is a must see, while also a delightful excursion that serves as a wake-up call. “I want to do pieces now to keep us conscious of what’s happening now,” said Rivera.

In the end, President Abraham Lincoln, who makes an appearance in the show, summed it up best. The miniature sculpture of the “Great Emancipator” with the American flag draped prominently across his face tacitly reveals the chaos that challenges us to be active participants in preserving our democracy. His words assigned to this piece underscores the importance of this moment.

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”

Truer words were never spoken.