Bobby M. Cruz López
San Juan, PR, 1984
Biography Details
Painter, sculptor, draftsman and creator of installations. Obtains in 2008 a Bachelor’s Degree in Painting from Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico. During his career as an artist, he has exposed in multiple group exhibits at diverse galleries on the Island. Had his first solo exhibition in 2009. Cruz brings the painting medium to another level, leaving a mark with his particular style, expressing himself beyond the canvas. He is recognized by his colorful paintings of bicycles and classic cars with linear and protruding strokes of paint. He also works sculpture, always maintaining his discourse by employing objects popular in character that possess collectable potential. In his work, the artist reveals his eagerness for the collection of pet objects, transforming them through his work into one more collector’s item.
Artist Statement
“My work tends to center on my daily life; the reinterpretation resulting into an indiscriminate mix of topics, without pretending to evoke some kind of concept, could be interpreted like underlining a sentence. Being the transmitter of a surrounding cultural reality. From hobbies like listening to Salsa and collecting vinyl records, utilizing objects I have grown up with. Rewriting or illustrating the phrases of Salsa songs employing neon. Illustrating titles of popular songs, separating them from their context highlighting their kitsch aspect from cultural elements “Si no hay material no hay coco no”, “Con los santos no se juega”, “Anacaona”, “Broke & Famous”. On the other hand, I find interesting how in societies they manage to survive. In ours there is a group of people that work collecting metals to sell them and afterwards these materials go through a recycling process. I collect cans of local products, employ the painting medium and sculpture to reflect that same creativity of naming a local product; Coco Rico, India, Old Colony, OK, among others. I make paintings of crushed cans and compressed can boxes. This unconsciously represents our history, reflection of which the consumers discard and the process that the material goes through.”
-Bobby Cruz
Formation
Education
2008
- Bachelor in Fine Arts, major in Painting. Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
2015
- Obras recientes de Bobby Cruz, Galería Petrus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2013
- Simplemente Bobby, Recinto Cerra, Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Institute of Puerto Rico Art and Culture, Chicago, Illinois, Estados Unidos
2011
- Super Clásico, Galería Yemayá, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2009
- Easy Rider, Galería Petrus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Group Shows
2019- Present
- Puerto Rico Plural, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2020
- REM Project, Feria Maco, Mexico
2019
- Solo Show, Feria MECA, Puerto Rico
- Solo Show, Feria SWAB, Barcelona, Spain
- 50 años de la Liga, Museo de las Américas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2018
- Solo Show, Feria MECA, Puerto Rico
2017
- The Rich Port Collective Butter Gallery, Miami, Florida, United States
- Summer Love, Galeria Petrus, Arte en Plaza, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Feria MECA, Roberto Paradise, Puerto Rico
2016
- 2da Gran Bienal Tropical 2016, Piñones, Loíza, Puerto Rico
- La Víspera del Pobre, Espacio Km 0.2, Puerto Rico
- Material, National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, Chicago, Illinois, United States
2015
- Frescos, ciudadanos de ninguna parte, Galeria de Arte de la Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Air Conditioned by Satan, ArtLab, Santurce, Puerto Rico
- ArteBa, Espacio 2020, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Muestra Nacional, Antiguo Arsenal, La Puntilla, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Materia, La Productora, Santurce, Puerto Rico
2014
- 30 años del MAC en el barrio, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Robusto Parasite, Roberto Paradise, Puerto Rico
- 15 meses, 2BLEO, Santurce, Puerto Rico
- Genesis, Matadero Art, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Arteba, Trailer Park Projects, Barrio Joven, La Rural, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2013
- Solista pero no solo, Galería 304, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- La mini, La Productora, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2012
- Trailer Park Projects, Scope Miami, Miami, Florida, United States
- Con los santos no se juega, C787Studios, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2011
- Puerto Rican Infiltration, Artimaña, Madrid, Spain
- Carry – on, Abrazo Interno Gallery, New York; Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, United States; Galería Yemayá, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2011
- Boricuas bestiales, La Ene-Nuevo Museo Energía de Arte Contemporáneo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2010
- Circa 10, Galería Yemayá, Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Por la libre, Galería Yemayá, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2009
- Circa 09, Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Muestra Nacional, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Galería Petrus, Scope Miami, Miami, Florida, United States
- Superavit, La 15 Contemporary Art Space, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2008
- When I grow up, Galería 356, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Circa Labs 08, Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Democrática, La 15 Contemporary Art Space, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2007
- Arte-facto, Galería Comercial, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2006
- Muestra Nacional, = Desto, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- One is the loneliest number,Tag Rom Space, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Awards, Distinctions and Achievements
2008
- Award. Exhibición Anual, Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2006
- Grant. ARCO, Madrid, Spain
2005
- Honorable Mention. Exhibición Anual, Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Collections
- Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Bibliography
Books
Nogueras, Celina. Frescos: 50 artistas puertorriqueños menores de 35. San Juan, PR: Muuaaa, 2010. pp. 350.
Newspapers
Lozada Laracuente, Lucía A. “Estampas de textura y color en la exposición del artista plástico Bobby Cruz”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 17 de agosto de 2020. https://www.elnuevodia.com/entretenimiento/cultura/notas/estampas-de-textura-y-color/
“Cotidianidad y color en la obra de Bobby Cruz”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 24 de noviembre de 2015. https://www.pressreader.com/puerto-rico/el-nuevo-dia1/20151124/282127815386406
“Generación Reactiva presenta su arte en su tercer aniversario”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 6 de agosto de 2019. https://www.elnuevodia.com/entretenimiento/cultura/notas/generacion-reactiva-presenta-su-arte-en-su-tercer-aniversario/
Magazines
Álvarez Lezama, Manuel. “Bobby Cruz”. Art Nexus, No. 90 Volume 12, 2013. https://www.artnexus.com/es/magazines/article-magazine-artnexus/5d64114790cc21cf7c0a3aae/90/bobby-cruz
Villafañe, Sylvia. “Obras de arte por manos puertorriqueñas”. El Nuevo Día: Revista Diseño y Construcción (San Juan, PR). https://construccionelnuevodia.com/noticia/obras-de-arte-por-manos-puertorriquenas/
“Artistas se unen en una colectiva dedicada a la clásica combinación del blanco y negro”. El Nuevo Día: Revista Magacín (San Juan, PR). 13 de abril de 2020. https://www.magacin.com/eventos/fotogaleria/artistas-se-unen-en-una-colectiva-dedicada-a-la-clasica-combinacion-del-blanco-y-negro/#foto-1
Web
Purcell, Marilú. “Arte @PLAZA – Summer Love – Bobby Cruz”. Plaza Las Américas: Eventos 8 de agosto al 2 de septiembre. https://www.plazalasamericas.com/event/arteplaza-summer-love-de-bobby-cruz/
Impacto Latino. “Modista boricua David Antonio ayuda a participantes con diversidad funcional”. 20 de enero de 2019. https://impactolatino.com/modista-boricua-david-antonio-ayuda-a-participantes-con-diversidad-funcional-2/
Bonet, Natasha. “MECA: el arte caribeño ante el mundo”. Natasha Bonet (San Juan, PR), 6 de diciembre de 2018. https://nathashabonet.com/meca-el-arte-caribeno-ante-el-mundo/