Trabajo Rustico: Fantasies in Cement May 6, 2010

A cement bench that looks just like a tree trunk … a bus stop with a roof that mimics straw thatch… If you’ve seen these and other creations around San Antonio and the River Walk, you’ve seen “trabajo rustico,” a centuries-old tradition of referencing the natural world using cement sculpture and architectural elements.

Trabajo Rustico — “rustic work” — (or in French, faux bois) intrigues viewers with inventive and playful yet accurate representations of tree trunks, branches, leaves and roots, luxuriant vines, cacti, mushrooms, rocks, and replicas of straw thatch, wooden benches, woven baskets, tables, palapas, gateways, bird baths, and more. San Antonio artists such as Dionicio Rodriguez and Maximo and Carlos Cortés have created beloved and inspiring landmarks in their hometown and have produced commissioned works across the country.

In celebration of Historic Preservation Month, The Tradition of Trabajo Rustico: Fantasies in Cement, will be on exhibition at the Russell Hill Rogers Lecture Hall at the Navarro Campus of the Southwest School of Art and Craft, May 6 - 30.

The exhibition presents a rich history of the artists themselves, including digital video interviews with Patsy Pitman Light, Cortés, and landscape architect, Kim Wolf; large-scale photographic reproductions of site-specific public projects and domestic sculptures; archival materials and maps; and demonstration samples and actual examples of finished Trabajo Rustico pieces.

In addition, on May 15, there will be a morning symposium exploring these distinctive sculptures, and an afternoon bus tour of Trabajo Rustico works by Dionicio Rodríguez, and Maximo and Carlos Cortés, culminating with a demonstration by Carlos Cortés at his studio. The symposium, from 9:30-11:30, will be held at the Russell Hill Rogers Lecture Hall, Southwest School of Art & Craft, and is free and open to the public; no reservation required. The afternoon session (11:30 – 3:30) is $25 for box lunch, bus tour and demonstration. Visit www.saconservation for a registration form and more details.

The exhibition was curated by Patsy Pittman Light, independent historian and preservationist; Kent Rush, Artist and Professor of Art, The University of Texas at San Antonio; and Scott Sherer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Art History, The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Official Website: http://www.saconservation.org/events/Seminar2010.pdf