The mayoress of San Bartolomé, María Dolores Corujo, unveiled this Friday afternoon the sculpture "The Cooper" that pays tribute to this art. A work by the sculptor Rigoberto Camacho, who was also present, and Felipe de León Rocío, the town's cooper, who was very excited, accompanied by his sister and closest relatives.
Corporation members, family, groups and friends attended the event, with the simple ceremony beginning with Christmas music by the Rancho de Pascua de Tinajo, followed by a few words from the mayoress, in which she praised "Felipe, a cooper by profession and son of a cooper; and responsible for keeping this traditional trade alive, which he has in turn passed on to his nephew and his son. In our small history, built with small gestures, some words, small heroic actions, colorful anecdotes and popular wisdom as the mortar that sustains it, artisans are fundamental pieces".
"People who, like Felipe de León, to whom we dedicate this sculpture, have loved and kept their work alive despite the harshness of craftsmanship, keeping the last cooperage workshop in the archipelago open, are the ones who deserve all the recognition we can give them. Saying thank you is not enough, but making it last in a small but important public space, enhances the work of the cooperage and his in particular, as a good example are his weathered hands by the wear and tear of a lifetime's work", continued the mayoress.
She ended with a mention of the artist who has given eternal life to the cooper and his barrel, Rigoberto Camacho. "A young sculptor who has crossed our island borders, teaches at the University and gives shape to each piece with a Lanzarote heart. Thank you very much, Rigoberto, for your fantastic work", added Corujo.
Finally, the mayoress added that "this small tribute to Felipe, The Cooper, serves to show our commitment to the tradition of the municipality, our love for the roots that anchor us to this land and our political will to preserve those values of our identity that made and keep our town great".
After the mayoress's words, the sculpture was unveiled, which from this Friday will be the "silent and perpetual tribute to the increasingly declining art of cooperage, and short words of enormous gratitude from Felipe de León and the sculptor, highlighting the importance of capturing in art, simple moments that enhance our traditions and culture.
The evening continued with a chocolate party, trout and sponge cake for all attendees, while the Rancho de Pascua de Tinajo played in the background.
The Cooper, and the sculptor, Rigoberto Camacho
This sculpture pays tribute to a very important trade on the island of Lanzarote, in San Bartolomé it is currently the only place where this work is carried out, hence the importance of this project, which pays a well-deserved recognition to a work that for centuries has served to preserve the great wines that Lanzarote has produced throughout its history.
The project is carried out in the field of sculptural realism, giving importance to the figure of the cooper and his barrel. This work is placed on a pedestal in the roundabout located on Avenida Alcalde Antonio Cabrera Barrera. It aims to be as faithful as possible to this tradition, hence the nature of this project, which does not admit interpretations and which only focuses on the image of the cooper leaning next to the barrel he has previously made.
The sculpture has approximate dimensions of 1.80m x 1.20m X1.20m. These measures make the viewer as a human being compare the proportions of the sculpture with himself being accepted and not causing estrangement, are calculated so that the work fits in the space chosen for its location.
The sculpture is made of polyester resin and fiberglass with 40mmx40mm galvanized iron to structure and reinforce the sculpture inside. The finish of the figure will be imitating bronze with iron and copper nitrates, a process similar to bronze whose durability is permanent over time. The final appearance of the sculpture is chosen for the elegance and importance that the visual of the material gives to the work since by cultural and historical situation bronze is a sign of importance and respect. Material resists water and UV rays.
About the sculptor
Rigoberto Camacho Pérez, 1985. Sculptor born in Lanzarote. He graduated in Fine Arts (2009-2013) and has a Master's Degree in Art and Creation Research (2014-2016) from the Complutense University of Madrid. He currently works between Madrid and Lanzarote, combining several sculptural projects with his work as Associate Professor of the Department of Sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the UCM. He has obtained several scholarships and residencies, including the Honorary Collaborator Scholarship (2013-2014 and 2015-2016) and Collaborator of the Department of Sculpture (2014-2015) at the UCM; Ayllón artistic production scholarship, where he was awarded the First Sculpture Prize; El C.A.V La Neomudéjar art residency and has participated in numerous public works projects, including the works Elegua, La Levantada and Matrona, located in Lanzarote.
He has exhibited at La New Fair (New Gallery, Madrid), JUSTMAD 7 or Fernandez Hurtado Art Gallery in Segovia. He also has works in Institutions and Museums such as Identity in the MEAM, Pajarito in the Contemporary Museum of Ayllón or the Women's U20 Basketball Medals in the Museum of the Spanish Sports Federation.
His sculptural work moves through several areas, in which the development of the human being in society and the pretense of freedom together with the need for control over nature is a reason for research today.
Hiding identity is a recurring theme in Rigoberto's work through the use of the image of the clown reveals the modesty and the priority to be accepted by others. Rigoberto uses sculpture as a weapon to represent human diversity prioritizing the procedural work with the sole purpose of the final result through attractive masses faced before the viewer through the physiognomies and dimensions.
