Rico Duenas
September 4 – October 2, 2021
Lamp Repair Shop, Saturdays in September, 12-5pm, Garage
The David Ireland House at 500 Capp Street is proud to present the work of artist and electrician, Rico Duenas. This September, the House is inspired by the transformational power of light in a room and the implications of highlighting and staging stripped-down everyday objects in an elevated view. Duenas works with unassuming objects and construction materials to repurpose them into lamps, and sources of light. Duenas uses brass sheet metal, traditionally used for roofing, found cast iron, and found aged objects and magnifies its patina. Apart from lighting architectural spaces and nooks at the House, Duenas also recreates and repairs light structures implicated by David Ireland to light up specific works like the copper window, and “Delection,” a broken window, and the basement.
David Ireland had the habit of creating lamps using utilitarian materials and tools like concrete and copper pipes. He would also light up certain angles of space to highlight colors and textures in an architectural space or on an object. Ireland began his interest in art and art practice through industrial design and stage design. In several installation pieces, he would include a light fixture or a stage and light setup providing the elements of exposing a Brechtian fourth wall in reminding us that spatial mediations can provide you a different experience in lighting and staging “the everyday.”
Duenas’ intervention at the House can be viewed from September 4-25, Wednesday to Saturday. Additionally each Saturday, the Garage will be transformed into a Lamp Repair Shop where Duenas will repair anyone’s broken lamp. The show will open on Saturday, September 4, 12-5pm. There will also be a Twilight Tour on September 9, 7-9pm, A reading with poets Lourdes Figueroa, Karen Llagas and friends and Lamp Making Workshop scheduled for Saturday, September 25, 2-5pm.
Rico Duenas was born and raised in San Francisco. As a child, he spent time on the east coast with his grandfather, a sculptor and founding member of Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. In San Francisco, he also often accompanied his father to flea markets and garage sales, where his father bought, fixed, and re-sold furniture. It was there that he was introduced to artist Kevin Randolph, who was repurposing lights, and quickly developed a love of lighting and sculpture. He lives and works in San Francisco as a union electrician and artist.