September 15 - October 20, 2018

Opening Reception: Sept. 15, 2018 — 6-8pm

Closing Reception: Oct. 20, 2018 — 3-5pm

Press Release: Leticia Bajuyo explores the social ideas behind that great expanse called Suburbia, where the American Dream intersects with reality. Once hailed as a sure fire way to a happy and safe existence, its cookie cutter houses, manicured lawns and sedate life style became stand-in stereotypes for banality and conformity. Many suburban areas have grown bigger than their neighboring cities and recently, ecological concern has been voiced since the suburban carbon imprint has been found to be often four times as much as that of urban dwellers.

The massive scale of the totality of Suburbia has been referred to as “hyperobject”, a term first coined by Rice University professor Timothy Morton. In his book by the same name he describes objects or developments beyond the scope of ordinary metrics influencing other entities in unpredictable, often negative ways. Leticia Bajuyo explores these issues and in the process re-evaluates changing social standards in terms of land use, consumerism or ecological impact.

The tension between nature and societal innovation is at the core of this artist’s narrative, offering an irony inflected dystopian vision of the suburban fantasy. Most importantly, she transforms suburban stereotypes into symbols and visual markers that delight and at the same time spur the visitor to engage his own critical stance.

Leticia Bajuyo’s “Exurban” installation at the Rudolph Blume Gallery extends throughout all four rooms of the gallery and encompasses many diverse aspects of suburban objects and icons including turf rolls, building kits, prefab houses or tree shaped air freshener forests. The “Exurban” exhibit has been an ongoing, multi year project that has been shown at different locations throughout the Midwest and South, every time re-configured, added on and infused with new material. Leticia Bajuyo is Assistant Professor of Sculpture and teaches at A&M University at Corpus Christi.