Artist Statement
Delvin Lugo’s painting series “Early Life in Neon” is informed by the experience of growing-up as an effeminate boy in the mountains of the Dominican Republic. Using old family photos as the basis for this series, he reanimates the past in order to reveal his innate sissiness. It is a celebration of the bold spirit that refuses to conform to gender appropriate behavior and activities.
Resourcefulness and improvisation were intertwined with his earliest expressions of identity as a gay boy interested in fashion and the fabulous. So wearing one of his mother’s earrings, creating a doll out of found doll parts combined with a dish soap bottle for a body, as well as placing himself as the center of attention at a Quinceañera party are celebrated here. Highlighting the retrospectively humorous elements of these early expressions is also essential in this series. Years before Lugo (or his family members) learned to speak English his favorite t-shirt bore the slogan “Bitch, Bitch, Bitch” as it is proudly featured here
This bold approach to life is manifested and amplified through use of vibrant and fluorescent colors. To accentuate the spirit of playfulness, these paintings are meant to be experienced with a black light. In any light, though, they transcend delight, resilience, and tenacious joy.
